A new study suggests nearly a third of cigarettes sold in Ontario are purchased illegally. The National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco commissioned research that tracked the cigarette-buying habits of people in Ontario. "There is no reason to accept high contraband tobacco rates as a given," Grant said in a statement. "Yes, Ontario needs to do what Quebec did, but Ontario needs to combine that with a whole series of other policy measures for that to be effective." An RCMP estimate suggests at least 175 organized crime groups dabble in the contraband tobacco trade and use proceeds to fund other enterprises such as drugs and human smuggling.

Source: CBC News January 23, 2017 23:06 UTC