Higher Tobacco Tax in Canada?

It says abiut 14% 0f Canadians smoke. Wonder where they git their numbers? I put it closer to 25-35%

fmgee, being in Canada, I can attest to the much higher costs for anything tobacco. A 50 gram tin of McClelland's tobacco in BC is $50.00 ish, or ... around $40.00 US. My favorite Padron cigars are just over $30.00 CDN per stick, compared to around $8.00 US from smokingpipes.com .
One of the biggest issues is how the CDN government collects data on the percentage of smokers in Canada. They use tax revue as the calculation tool. This being the case, I am not counted as a smoker, as I do not purchase tobacco in Canada. I am sure many others do the exact same thing. We buy online from US sources that ship to Canada. As most shipments under 200 grams "slide" through tax and duty free, the CDN government calculations are way off. Their calculations also do not take into account how much tobacco is smuggled into Canada, by normally very honest people that are sick to death of being taxed into poverty.
In the greater Vancouver area there used to be 6 solid pipe shops. Not cigar ships that sold pipe, I mean pipe shops that also had small selections of cigars and no cigarettes. Now there is none. There are a few very serious cigar shops, that also carry a small selection of pipes and pipe tobacco, but not a single pipe shop remains.
Smoking restrictions are strict. No smoking in public buildings. No smoking in cigar shops!!! I believe all parks are now also designated as non smoking permitted.
Personally I'd like to see every smoker of any tobacco product quit smoking for one week. No purchases. No smoking. The tax revenue loss would send a very strong message to the government. Maybe also to the general public. If tobacco taxation eliminates all smoking and thus tax revenue, how will the government make up the short fall? Maybe they'll tax gas, which will be on everyone. Maybe on food? Or even higher prices for alcohol products, which in Canada are also much higher than the US.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Regards

Michael J. Glukler
PS ... hey Russ, when are you guys going to start shipping to Canada???? Your competitors do. The smoking population in Canada is not large, but every sale is a good sale!!!!!

14% might admit to it, yeah.
I know a guy who would not register on their radar, just as an example.
The government has to balance out the cash-cow side of the taxation against taking care of smokers after they've had their heart-attacks and/or cancer, is the way they figure it. Raising the taxes on cigs is win/win for them - maybe fewer smokers and for sure more revenue on those left.
And the USA is figuring this out too - I'd say prices have nearly doubled in 15 years here, from what I can see.

sas - agreed. Prices in the US have increased. Sooner or later the government must figure out they will kill the golden goose. Tax revenues are needed. Eliminate tax from tobacco and put it on what? Maybe fast food, which contributes just as much to heart attacks ( or more ) than does pipe smoking. I'd love to see similar labels put on fast food as goes on tobacco products.
Regards

Michael J. Glukler

Canadian tobacco tax isn't about revenue, it's about strangling the tobacco industry.

You might have a point there, coldsmoke; but I definitely believe it's all about lining their pockets whilst claiming to 'care' for youth, public health, and the environment. Especially this government, which has proven to be extremely voracious. They tout their 'noble' slogans and sketchy statistics to justify robbing people blind. Yet, they make absolutely no sense: banning smoking tobacco with one hand because they 'care' for public health whilst legalising pot –which is also smoked– with the other? Baloney!

My Canadian friends,I foresee the day in the near future when Canadian Government will ban all tobacco containing mail packages regardless of quantities whether the sender was registred business seller or privat citizen.

then next up,it goes like'travellers who're spending at least 24hours abroad(U.S) are only allowed to bring along 5/50gr pouches or 200 cigarettes.

Needless to say,I really hope this won't take place there,I'm far too familiar with all this pathetic absurdness of our anti tobacco lawmakers.

Reading through the top voted comments on that article page, I would say many Canadians are getting sick and tired of the socialist government micromanaging every aspect of their lives. Whether it be through buying more tobacco from black market suppliers or physically throwing these fascists out of public office, I believe the pendulum is swinging and there will be a breaking point where people will not put up with it anymore. Yes, a big public backlash is coming to Canada and elsewhere. When? I don't know, but it's coming.

The mug politicians patronize us with concerns for our health. Uh huh. Why do they not get serious about ice and other hideous drugs like those?! It's cheaper to buy ice than it is to buy tobacco here in Oz. I wish I had a tree shredder big enough to fit all the ego maniac, power hungry types through it. Trouble with that delusion is, that, that would include 80% of the population. Not a wise move. Very Stalinesk!

Anyway, a couple of my orders got through the other day. I Just hope the others make it.

the pendulum is swinging and there will be a breaking point where people will not put up with it anymore. Yes, a big public backlash is coming to Canada and elsewhere. When? I don't know, but it's coming.

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Not gonna happen. Folks in Canada are docile. They will swallow new taxes and keep on going. Just like always.

Very Stalinesk!

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Not at all. Being a ruthless dictator, he managed to keep lowering prices for basic foods, booze an tobacco. Keeping most people quiet.

Reading through the top voted comments on that article page, I would say many Canadians are getting sick and tired of the socialist government micromanaging every aspect of their lives

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nope - you are just reading the comments section on the internet about an issue people get worked up about.

I live just south of the Canadian border -- if the lines at Costco are any indication I;d say the three highest taxed items are dairy, gas, and tobacco! I feel for all of you Canadians. I'd probably not smoke if I had to pay that. In terms of the data issue, I think it's interesting that most cigar and pipe smokers I know don't consider themselves "smokers." I don't...

I get a little ticked off when all tobacco is lumped together with cigarettes 

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Likewise. I notice the article only mentions 'tobacco' a couple times, but repeats the words 'cigarettes' and 'cigarette taxes' quite a bit.
Either they see a distinction, or tobacco = cigarettes. Hmm :crazy:

Till today I was thinking Scandinavian countries are worst locations smokers to live,but obviously I was misled,another week I was watching Australian border 'real Tv serial and then couldn't help wondering one can't bring almost nothing into this country when he is returning from overseas.

we are allowed to 200cigs or 5 pouches tobacco when returning from oversea trip from outside of EU continent, whereas when coming back from inside of Eu area quanties are like, 10 pouches or 400 cig.