Alberta teens face smoking fines, price of cartons tops $70

Under the toughest law of its kind in Canada, Albertans aged 17 and under will soon face a $100 fine if caught smoking in public. The law, which allows police to confiscate tobacco products from teenagers and issue a $100 ticket, takes effect this month.

Bill 208, the Prevention of Youth Tobacco Use Act, is part of an $11.7-million strategy to reduce teen smoking that includes school education packages, conferences, seminars and Web sites. “You can't just find a magic bullet that works,” said Howard May, spokesperson for Alberta Health and Wellness. “The only thing that works is if you do everything.”

And “everything” includes price hikes. It is now common for single packs of 25 cigarettes to sell for $10 or more, and cartons have topped $70. Edmonton police say cigarette theft has become a regular feature of store holdups, but RCMP in Alberta report no increase in tobacco smuggling.

Lloyd Carr, senior manager for tobacco reduction at the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC), said Albertans, known for their “rugged pioneer spirit,” are often hostile to government programs aimed at influencing their behaviour. However, the commission also reports that between January 2002 — when tobacco taxes increased — and September, provincial tobacco consumption declined by 21%.

The fines for teens were prompted by LeRoy Johnson, a Tory member of the Alberta legislature, who discovered 3 years ago that there was no law against teen tobacco use. The province had already increased fines for retailers who sold tobacco to minors — up to $3000 for a first offence and up to $50 000 for a second — but there were no consequences for the children, said Johnson. “The time had come to get serious about this issue.” The AADAC says 85% of new smokers are aged under 18.

But will the law be enforced? “It's not something we're going to devote a lot of time to — trolling food courts and arresting kids,” said Wes Bellmore, spokesperson for the Edmonton Police Service. “We'll work it in with our priorities.”

Before the Alberta legislation was introduced, Carr visited Woodridge, Illinois, a Chicago suburb with a 14-year-old law that allows teens to be fined for using and possessing tobacco. He says studies there have shown dramatic decreases in teen smoking since the fines and other antismoking measures were introduced. — Lisa Gregoire, Edmonton