加拿大政府将提高烟酒税

    加拿大政府将提高烟酒税

    加拿大每包卷烟的税收将从4.5加元上提到5.25加元（即从3.3欧元上提到3.8欧元，4.4美元上提到5.1美元）。切烟/散烟的税率每克将上提21分，而雪茄税将上提零售价的100%，不过雪茄提税还要受制于每支雪茄现行的最低和最高税额。

    在这项仍需要获得立法通过的、有可能成为最具争议的举措中，加拿大土著居民可能会发现，他们可以免税购买的卷烟量会大幅减少。如果加拿大政府按照自己的意思行事的话，在保留地，免税卷烟购买量将被限制到每名消费者每周一箱——低于原先的三箱。

    萨斯喀彻温印第安民族联盟的副主任莫雷·沃森在一份书面声明中说：“这是在没有取得有意义的咨询利益的情况下，对《合约权》的严重侵害。该省的权力已经超出了自己的权限。该省是在单方面修改土著居民可以购买的烟草数量配额。这是印第安人代理人心理。原来的印第安人代理人还会告诉我们，我们可以给家人生产和提供多少谷物、木材、围栏和其他商品。”

    新民主党（NDP）卫生批评家朱迪·朱诺对这项立法提案或是提高烟税都不甚热心。在承认提税确实会导致吸烟减少的同时，她称吸烟减少也是“少量”的。

    她说：“人们没有别的替代品也能适应。真正上瘾的人，他们会寻找其他方式来取得卷烟，而这样就会使他们减少食物、居住成本、衣物与教育供应，等等。”

    CANADA: Government raises tobacco and alcohol taxes

    TJI

    25 Mar 2010.

    The tax on a package of cigarettes is going from CAD 4.50 to $5.25 (EUR 3.3 to 3.8, USD 4.4 to 5.1). Taxes on cut/loose tobacco are going up by 21 cents per gram and cigars by 100 per cent of the retail price, subject to the existing minimum and maximum tax amounts per cigar.

    In what will likely be the most controversial move, subject to the passing of legislation, First Nations individuals could be seeing a significant decrease in the amount of cigarettes they can purchase tax-free. If the government gets its way, on-reserve, tax-free cigarette purchases will be limited to one carton per customer per week -- down from three.

    "This is a serious infringement on Treaty Rights without the benefit of meaningful consultation," FSIN Vice Chief Morley Watson said in a written statement. "The Province has extended its authority beyond its jurisdiction. The Province is unilaterally changing quotas on how much tobacco First Nations people can purchase. This is Indian Agent mentality. The old Indian Agent would tell us how much grain, wood, fence posts and other goods we could produce and provide for our families."

    NDP health critic Judy Junor wasn't enthusiastic about either the proposed legislation or the increase in tobacco tax. While she acknowledged tax increases do lead to decreased smoking, she claimed the decrease is "marginal."

    "People will just do without something else," she said. "People who are truly addicted, they're going to go find another way to get the cigarettes and that will be less food, shelter costs, clothing, school supplies, whatever."