Canada's controversial cigarette ban pits corner stores against health advocates

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by julianw | May 30, 2008 at 02:24 pm
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To oppose cigarettes has traditionally been to also oppose the big-business model embodied by tobacco corporations. Interestingly, however, it is Canada’s small-businesses – its convenience stores – that are most threatened by new legislation banning the display of cigarettes. And while the controversial legislation pits small-business owners against anti-smoking advocates, big tobacco companies have been left out of the debate.


Cigarettes will disappear by the end of the year in most parts of Canada.

Convenience stores across the country are facing new rules on displaying cigarettes that require them to keep the packages behind closed doors or in drawers out of public view.

The display ban is set to take effect in Ontario and Quebec tomorrow and follows similar moves that have already been adopted or are pending in other parts of the country. Newfoundland is the only province that isn't moving to ban retail cigarette displays.

According to the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, the display ban is designed to prevent children from being exposed to images of cigarettes and to "de-normalize" the product in the rest of the population.

Source: theglobeandmail.com

Despite receiving accolades from anti-tobacco advocates, Ontario's ban isn't sitting well with some cigarette retailers.

"It sucks. Literally. It's just plain dumb," said Phil Doucette, an employee at Crown Variety in downtown Toronto. "It's a legal product. Why should we have to hide it?"

Doucette, a smoker himself, thinks the ban won't stop young people from lighting up.

"If they want to smoke, they're going to. If they don't, they won't. But it ain't going to stop them."

Independent convenience stores could face a $250 fine if they're caught displaying cigarettes after the deadline. In extreme cases, they could be slammed with a $4,000 fine for a first offence.

Corporations can face fines of up to $10,000.

Small convenience stores will be hit the hardest by the ban, said Dave Bryans, president of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association. Cigarette sales make up 40 to 75 per cent of a small store's daily sales, and between dwindling cigarette sales and the cost of the cabinets, many family-run businesses will struggle to stay afloat, Bryans said.

"We have to find the cabinets on our own, pay for them on our own," Bryans said. "That's the hardship. The small business has to come up with anywhere from $600 to $2,500 to satisfy the legislation."

Although the display ban was passed under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act two years ago, store owners didn't get the specific requirements until the end of January.

Those requirements outline rules for how many packs of cigarettes the new cabinets can reveal. Garage door-style cupboards, curtains, or blinds that could be opened to display the entire inventory are forbidden. The government suggests under-the counter drawers or overhead compartments that are only visible from behind the counter.

Sue Qin, the owner of Toronto's Peng Convenience, plans to block the display with paper until the cabinets that she ordered are delivered.

"I don't know why the government wants to do this. It will hurt business," Qin said. "I think it's a stupid rule. I don't think the rule will stop people from smoking."

Jeffrey Gottheil, president of J. Gottheil Marketing Communications, doesn't agree.

Tobacco companies pay retailers $300,000 a year to display their products and power walls are "extremely influential," especially for children, Gottheil said.

As part of a 2006 study commissioned by the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, Gottheil asked 2,000 school kids from non-smoking homes what they knew about cigarettes.

"They knew everything," he said. "They knew colours, they knew brands, they knew where they were available, they knew how much they were. And they all mentioned convenience stores, convenience stores, convenience stores."

Source: ca.news.yahoo.com

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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (30)

recommend This comment thread is now closed
Rob Peters
Rob Peters
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:33 on May 30th, 2008

It seems unfair that corner stores should have to foot the bill for the cabinets, although I guess they're choosing to sell smokes. Still, I'd rather see the cigarette companies pay.

eastvanray
eastvanray
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 17:47 on May 30th, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.


Funny the contradictions.  On one hand a store owner saying that displaying cigarettes will have no impact on peoples choice to smoke "If they want to smoke, they're going to. If they don't, they won't. But it ain't going to stop them." At the same time complaining about the ban.  Which is is?  If it wiooll not affect people's choice to smoke what's the worry?

0
MyNameMattersNot
MyNameMattersNot

at 08:50 on May 31st, 2008

"If it wiooll not affect people's choice to smoke what's the worry?"

I believe the primary thing they're complaining about is the financial hardship and inconvenience caused by the regulations, not an anticipated loss in sales.




Mike Wood
Mike Wood
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 19:33 on May 30th, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.


The Canadian government needs to get off it's behind and decide what it wants to do. Either ban it completely and make smoking illegal or allow it and sell smoking products open and freely.

0
Vulturo
Vulturo

at 02:21 on May 31st, 2008

I quit smoking a while ago.

Vulturo has contributed a photo to this story.

0
destinelee
destinelee

at 03:45 on May 31st, 2008

It wasn't cigs on display that got me started it was my mother who had me light her cigs in the car because she was driving. Little did she know that I was getting addicted.


30 years later I have finally quit smoking but the chronic bronchitis is here to stay. Don't just quit one day, quit now!!

0
Tim Harper
Tim Harper

at 04:04 on May 31st, 2008

On the 1st March 2006,in Australia all cigarette packages to be printed with graphic health warnings.These gruesome images of damaged lungs.etc have not had any effect on other smokers.I am a smoker myself and these images have not encouraged me to stop smoking.

Tim Harper has contributed a photo to this story.

0
Tim the sailor
Tim the sailor

at 05:32 on May 31st, 2008

1000 pack Marlboros on sale in the duty free shop at Barcelona. The limit for the UK was 3200......smokin'

Tim the sailor has contributed a photo to this story.

0
chapdap
chapdap

at 06:27 on May 31st, 2008

No joke, this is what they put on all cigarette boxes in India. This picture was taken in Chennai, India at the biggest mall there called Spencers

chapdap has contributed a photo to this story.

0
slkarns
slkarns

at 06:30 on May 31st, 2008

Cigarette adverstising is common in China, and smoking is still very socially acceptable - much moreso than in many western countries.

slkarns has contributed a photo to this story.

0
azzayindia
azzayindia

at 06:37 on May 31st, 2008

The amount of revenue the tobacco cos generate by way of taxes for govt and under the table money for the politicians no wonder they close their eyes when it comes to Banning cigarretes.In india the situation is far worse people chew tobaccowhich come in pouches of Rs 2 each.They have led to mouth cancer among the poor masses.

People rise against this menace called multinational cos who sell tobacco

 

0
TheLegs
TheLegs

at 08:45 on May 31st, 2008

This is a box of MS cigarettes, an italian brand produced by the formerly called "Monopoli di Stato". The choice of a boy riding a Vespa while trashing the item probably deals with the concept of Italian Style that this brand tries to communicate to the end user.

TheLegs has contributed a photo to this story.

0
christophe_dc
christophe_dc

at 08:48 on May 31st, 2008

It's a pack of Lucky Strike smokes, they also start to make everything non-smokers (bars, restaurants, ..) here..

visit christophedc.be for more pictures or info


christophe_dc has contributed a photo to this story.

0
studiodeb
studiodeb

at 08:52 on May 31st, 2008

Part of an ongoing project called "Disposed", this image was shot during a day of documenting street trash in San Francisco. The most common trash items on streets and sidewalks were undoubtedly cigarettes and cigarette packs.

studiodeb has contributed a photo to this story.

0
simonparisphotography
simonparisphotography

at 09:10 on May 31st, 2008

Cigarette packets in Thailand have graphic warnings on the packets by law and are not allowed to be displayed for sale. This photo was taken just before that second law came into effect.

simonparisphotography has contributed a photo to this story.

Cattaur
Cattaur
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:29 on May 31st, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.

I think the part about not being able to use curtains (or similar) is the most ridiculous part of the law.

1
pjkproductions
pjkproductions

at 09:54 on May 31st, 2008

Since July 2007, there has been a blanket ban on smoking inside publicly used buildings in England. An extension to the popular, cheeper fire insurance on businesses that don't allow smoking on their premises, which was voluntary. It is now Law and you can be fined upto £2000 for lighting up in the warmth of a pub. Cigarettes and Alcohol are quite dangerous things, if all the hype is to be believed, but forcing people outside into the cold and wet just for smoking and trying to enjoy themselves after a hard weeks work is counter mount to nothing more than an infringement of civil liberties. In my photo, which was taken in the smoking garden of a pub, depicts that if I can't smoke and drink alcohol in the pleasant and welcoming surroundings of a public house then I will drink coffee and smoke outside and eat slowly into your profits. PS loads of good pubs have closed round here due to smokers preferring to smoke and drink at home.

pjkproductions has contributed a photo to this story.

0
abhijith
abhijith

at 09:56 on May 31st, 2008

precarious

abhijith has contributed a photo to this story.

0
kegyota
kegyota

at 15:08 on May 31st, 2008

It seems to me like the small convenience stores are using cigarettes as a scapegoat.  I'm sure other items like soda, snacks, and alcohol bring in more business than they perceive.  Personally...  The world could go without tobacco and alcohol... but, then again... I'm just a photographer.   : |

Kevin of Moth has contributed a photo to this story.

0
teapics
teapics

at 11:33 on May 31st, 2008

People walking into the store are probably going in there to buy cigarettes anyway. I don't advocate smoking (I think it's a wasteful and disgusting habit) but I don't think the ads in the stores have much effect.
teapics has contributed a photo to this story.

0
gerhard.1962
gerhard.1962

at 13:35 on May 31st, 2008

Don't smoke! Smoking clogs the arteries and causes... we know it. I think, this is a decision, which is all by oneself. Throw it away !

gerhard.1962 has contributed a photo to this story.

0
_a_l_e_x_
_a_l_e_x_

at 14:23 on May 31st, 2008


0
giant_laowai
giant_laowai

at 16:23 on May 31st, 2008

giant_laowai has contributed a photo to this story.

0
Andy Gurnett
Andy Gurnett

at 16:43 on May 31st, 2008

Andy Gurnett has contributed a photo to this story.

0
engrgoddess
engrgoddess

at 18:29 on May 31st, 2008

I took this picture in Malta, where the warnings are a lot more "vivid." My teenage son was with me and was discouraged by the messages.

engrgoddess has contributed a photo to this story.

0
33 Boroughs
33 Boroughs

at 04:06 on June 1st, 2008

A discarded cigarette packet on the street in south London, England.

With a typical packet of 20 now costing around £6 it is more normal to see cigarette packets from Poland and elsewhere which have been smuggled in and usually sold at half the price.

The British government has raised the Canadian option in the last couple of days and I believe the devolved Scottish government has already announced plans for this in 2009.

33 Boroughs has contributed a photo to this story.

0
szen_volta
szen_volta

at 05:41 on June 2nd, 2008

street art paste up by artist k guy, shoreditch, east london, uk, 2007

szen_volta has contributed a photo to this story.

0
cards-a-gogo
cards-a-gogo

at 16:06 on June 2nd, 2008

Taken in Kathmandu, Nepal, I stumbled across this packet of cigarettes lying in the street. Thought it was funny that the brand name was "Yak" - "Yak" is a slang term for "vomit" here in Australia

cards-a-gogo has contributed a photo to this story.

0
mitch.surprenant
mitch.surprenant

at 18:14 on June 2nd, 2008

mitch.surprenant has contributed a photo to this story.

0
Boots McKenzie
Boots McKenzie

at 13:16 on June 3rd, 2008

This is what i smoke and other objects that you will find on me at that time

Boots McKenzie has contributed a photo to this story.

This story was created over 3 months ago, the comment thread is now closed.

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