There are some easy ways to identify illegal tobacco products, according to the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco.
Spokesperson Gary Grant says often illegal cigarettes are sold in clear plastic bags in amounts of 200.
He says that’s not the only sign.
“And even though they make some attempts to make their packages look legitimate, there’s usually something amiss,” says Grant. “Like the government stamps are there, the proper health warning is not on it, and the excise stamp isn’t there.”
He adds there are more subtle clues to highlight contraband cigarettes.
“If you look at the cigarettes themselves, legal cigarettes have bands around the filter of different colour to show the proper excise has been paid federally and provincially,” says Grant. “Of course they don’t have those bands because the excise has not been paid.”
Grant says the biggest indicator of contraband cigarettes is price, usually around $12 to $15 for 200 cigarettes, which is clearly well below market price.
He says buying contraband tobacco is not a victimless crime, because it deprives the government of tax dollars, which costs us all in the long run.
