Thank you, Chair.
Gentlemen, it's always a pleasure to talk to you. A few minutes ago or an hour ago, we had the chance to talk about tax on alcohol. I would like to talk about tax on tobacco. I think Mr. Coulombe will be my counterpart.
It will be my pleasure to speak with you again, Mr. Coulombe. Thank you very much for the specific details you gave us about alcohol tax.
Now, let's talk about the tobacco tax.
We know that Canada had a sad reputation in 1981: we were the country that consumed the most tobacco per capita. Through vigorous awareness campaigns to alert the public, tobacco consumption in Canada has declined nicely. Our country now ranks among the best. We are not the best, but among the best in terms of use. When I say that we are among the best, it means that the less we use, the better.
Obviously, it is not without raising the anger of some who are sad to see that the current government wants to legalize marijuana, but that's another matter. Let's keep to Bill C-44, in accordance with the chair's most pertinent instructions.
Mr. Coulombe, I assume you have assessed the impact of the increase in the excise tax on tobacco. Is it calculated in the same way as for the excise tax on alcohol, meaning it's calculated based on the rising staircase principle, which can also have consequences on the other industries that depend on that?
I want to say right now, that clearly alcohol does not do harm people's health in the same way as cigarettes. As I mentioned earlier, the impact of alcohol in restaurants and drinking places has nothing to do with the impact of tobacco.