Finance committee  It's been going very well. I don't have the specific numbers. Mr. Cunningham probably does, and could quote the statistics. I believe it's around 16%, 17%, and dropping year over year. The challenge we face is not a budgetary issue, but it is around flavoured tobacco. That is som

Finance committee  E-cigarettes are a relatively new delivery mechanism for nicotine in the States. They've not been regulated in Canada to be used with nicotine. It is a cigarette-like device that vaporizes. You inhale; you feel like you're smoking. There are flavours that can be delivered through

Finance committee  We believe so, yes. The increase that this current budget would place on tobacco, you heard me refer to as an inflationary adjustment. When you look at the costs that have gone up, the cost of tobacco has stayed stagnant federal tax-wise for about 12 years now. I mentioned the di

Finance committee  We don't believe so, thus the recommendation this time around that it was well beyond time to increase the federal taxes. You'll have noticed that several provinces also view that they still have room to put more taxes on. Ontario was talking about that today. The B.C. government

Finance committee  Consumption is going down. Depending on the study that you look at, we'll say there are 20% who are smoking in this country, but it's down as low as 16% in some populations. The population we are concerned the most about.... Your question, I think, speaks to addiction. Those who

Finance committee  Can you just clarify what specifically you're asking? Is that, if we have looked at trying to deter non-aboriginals from going on-reserve to purchase, or the sales to them?

Finance committee  I'm not familiar with any work going on in that particular area. If I might with the permission of this committee turn to my global expert Mr. Cunningham and just make sure that I have that right...? May he just sit for a second and address it? This is the expert globally.

Finance committee  Fralick. Well done.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Chair. Honourable committee members, we do thank you for the invitation to testify today. We strongly support the tobacco tax increase included in the federal budget and in Bill C-31. This measure will reduce youth smoking and it will save lives. It is that