Raise taxes on tobacco, society urges parties in campaign

The P.E.I. division of the Canadian Cancer Society is lobbying parties in the current provincial election campaign to increase tobacco taxes, and use the revenue for programs to help people quit.

"We really want to see a new, comprehensive smoking cessation program on P.E.I., because the current program that we have is not meeting the needs of Islanders," said Jayna Stokes, the provincial lead for the Cancer Society.

"It's really important that if we are recommending that we want to see by 2035, a smoking rate of less than five per cent on P.E.I., that they really do need to look at these recommendations in order to get there."

Provincial taxes on tobacco products haven't increased since 2015, she said, and P.E.I. has the lowest taxes in the Maritimes. The cancer society would like to see the rate increased from 25 cents per cigarette to at least 27.52 cents, the same as Nova Scotia.

The society would also like to see the legal age to buy tobacco products — including e-cigarettes — raised from 19 to 21, and tighter rules covering where people can smoke.

In 2017 about 12 per cent of Islanders were smokers.

The Cancer Society has informed the parties in this election about its priorities, and hopes to meet with all of the leaders during the campaign.

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