© 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.631.3584; http://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/6-7/384.full.pdf

Athriving contraband tobacco market has emerged inCanada, especially in Ontario and Quebec.1,2 Recentstudies have estimated that 14 % to 49 % of all ciga-rettes bought by adult smokers in Ontario are illicit (i.e., pur-chased without the requisite provincial and federal taxes applied), originating primarily from First Nations reserves. Study methods have included population surveys of cigarette purchasing on reserves,1 interviews with smokers (sponsored by the tobacco industry)3 and discrepancy analyses of taxation revenues against reported cigarette consumption.4 Whereas the existing literature has focused on adults, an assessment of youth involvement in the contraband market may be even more important. Contemporary tobacco-control policies seek to inhibit and reduce smoking among adoles-cents through price mechanisms (e.g., taxation) and mini-mum-age purchasing restrictions,5 strategies that the contra-band market probably undermines. However, little is known