NEW MARYLAND, N.B. – The Atlantic Convenience Stores Association and Crime Stoppers are partnering in a crackdown on illegal tobacco sales in New Brunswick.
Association president Mike Hammoud says the provincial government’s new Contraband Enforcement Unit is starting to make an impact, but there needs to be more public awareness and support.
He says profits from illegal tobacco trafficking typically flow back to organized crime and are used to fund other criminal activity.
Hammoud says illegal smokes also undermine anti-smoking efforts among youth because they’re cheap and easy to obtain.
Under the partnership, the association will fund New Brunswick Crime Stoppers anti-illegal tobacco advertising and tip rewards, and fund and co-ordinate a public awareness campaign in convenience stores throughout the province.
A study by the Atlantic Convenience Stores Association indicates that illegal products could account for upwards of 20 per cent of the cigarette market in New Brunswick.
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