CALGARY – It may soon cost Albertans more for liquor and tobacco; the Alberta government is looking at increasing its so called sin tax.
Premier Alison Redford says smoking and drinking lead to higher healthcare costs across the province. She believes a tax hike would help pay for those bills and perhaps discourage some from drinking and smoking.
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“We are considering it, we haven’t made any final decisions with respect to budget. It’s a very fluid process right now it terms of where we are, in terms of balancing and programming, but it is a consideration.”
Liquor store owners say a tax hike would hurt their business, driving away many customers.
Some Calgarians Global News spoke with say a tax hike would not discourage drinking and smoking – consumers will simply look for other outlets to get their alcohol or cigarettes.
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