The National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco says "an epidemic" of illegal tobacco is plaguing communities across northern Ontario.
The coalition is an advocacy group formed with the participation of businesses, law and order organizations and individuals concerned about the contraband cigarette trade.
Its national spokesperson, Gary Grant, spoke Monday in Ottawa to northern delegates attending the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Grant said more than half the cigarettes purchased in northern Ontario are contraband, compared with about one-third of cigarettes sold across the province.
He said the RCMP has identified criminal gangs that profit from the trade, and suggested that "community leaders need to encourage action to stop this growing threat."
Grant, a 39-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service, charged that the Ontario government has repeatedly neglected to introduce measures to combat the illegal tobacco trade.
The coalition has lauded enforcement measures used in Quebec to disrupt contraband tobacco networks.
Grant said efforts to reduce smoking rates in Ontario can't work as long as residents of the province have easy access to cheap, unregulated cigarettes.
He added that recent discussions about the issue showed that "attitudes in northern Ontario were shockingly unconcerned about the consequences of using illegal cigarettes."
According to Grant, contraband tobacco in Ontario costs the provincial and federal governments more than $1 billion a year in revenue.
