Sure, the government would lose billions in tobacco taxes. But it would make that back five-fold in health savings
The time has come for Canada to take the boldest step of all in the war against cigarettes: Build a five-year plan to eventually outlaw the sale and production of tobacco.
That is not to say Ottawa should make smoking illegal, rather that the country would no longer be complicit in the business of this product.
Smokers, who are already under attack from numerous lobbies, may feel this is yet one more assault on their right to smoke. But again, smoking would remain legal, it would just become a lot harder for Canadians to get their hands on the deadly weed.
Here are five reasons why we need such a tobacco ban:
1. Smokers gripe loudly whenever a new law is put in place to curb their habit, but eventually they come around and all is forgotten. Consider the stink when restaurants had to butt out. Now no one complains. Therefore, it’s a good bet that, if the sale and production of tobacco were made illegal in Canada, there would be an immediate uproar from puffers. But eventually it would die down and the majority of smokers would simply quit. Quitting, we all agree, is a great thing.
2. The tobacco industry, particularly in Ontario, would complain. But that’s the point of giving everyone a five-year warning to get out of this deadly business.
3. Small-business operators might complain, since the sale of cigarettes supports the bottom line. Again, the five- year plan would allow their stores to wean themselves off tobacco sales and build growth in the sale of other products.
4. The travel industry might complain on the grounds that many of the world’s smokers wouldn’t want to come visit Canada if they can’t puff. But they can puff. They just can’t buy the product here. Besides, think of all the non- smokers who would love to visit a country that is overwhelmingly smoke-free.
5. Yes, the illegal sale of tobacco in this country would grow. But frankly, who cares? Most smokers aren’t going to go seek out a tobacco pusher. Most would simply quit. And again, quitting, we all agree, is a great thing.
With no viable answers to cooling the red-hot costs of health care in this country, one great step forward would be to have 99 per cent of Canadians non-smokers.
Sure, the government would lose billions in tobacco taxes. But it would make that back five-fold in health savings.
There is not one thing good or even neutral about smoking.
So quitting, we all agree, is a great thing.
