Convenience Stores back MPP Gerry Martiniuk's bill to ban youth smoking

Common sense legislation to put similar youth restrictions Ontario has for alcohol on tobacco

OAKVILLE, ON, Oct 6 /CNW/ - Ontario's convenience stores think it's long overdue for legislation banning youth purchasing, possession and use of tobacco to accompany the existing prohibition on selling tobacco to minors.  The Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA), which represents over 7,500 convenience stores in this province, have lined up in support of MPP Gerry Martiniuk's Private Members' Bill that would see youth purchasing, possession or use of tobacco made a provincial offense, with convictions carrying a fine.

"Kids shouldn't smoke and convenience stores are legally and duty bound to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors.  We're fully committed to this job, but we shouldn't be the only line of protection.  It makes no sense that Ontario has tougher restrictions on protecting youth from alcohol than it does for cigarettes," said Dave Bryans, President of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association.  "Especially when we know youth bans on youth smoking work.  Independent studies of communities with purchase, possession and use bans have demonstrated lower rates of youth smoking.  But right now Ontario has no rules when it comes to kids obtaining, possessing or using tobacco."

The facts are youth cigarette possession bans, when used in conjunction with other smoking reduction programs, are effective.  A 2009 study by Depaul University, the University of Florida and the US National Cancer Institute that shows the combination of tobacco purchase, use and possession laws, combined with existing tobacco control measures can reduce youth smoking (http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/1/1/). 

As good a job as convenience stores do preventing the sale of tobacco to minors, a huge amount of the cigarettes consumed in Ontario are illegal - where there are no age checks whatsoever. 

The convenience store industry, following its mission to be responsible community retailers, has looked at the problem of kids getting access to illegal cigarettes.  To measure this across Ontario, an independent third-party survey firm was hired to collect cigarette butts from around high schools.  In the most recent year the study was done (2009), 19,770 cigarette butts were collected from around 110 high schools and analysis revealed 30% were illegal.  Ontario's 36 health boards and thousands of health inspectors tasked with monitoring convenience store tobacco sales are presently powerless to address this.

"The reality is that even if convenience stores do a perfect job of stopping kids from getting tobacco, tens of thousands of kids will still have access because of the massive illegal market. As a community, we shouldn't accept that," added Bryans.  "It's time for a total ban on youth purchasing, possession and use of tobacco. Alberta and Nova Scotia do it, as do many U.S. States.  This is a no-brainer.  It's time for this legislation."

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association calls on all MPPs to support this Bill.

For further information:

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