Fighting contraband tobacco: An opportunity for First Nations leadership and partnership

摘要

Tobacco is a rare example of an addictive substance that First Nations people introduced to Europeans, not the other way around as with alcohol and other addictive substances. Unlike Europeans in these latter examples, the Aboriginals who first shared their tobacco traditions with European explorers did so without knowledge or intent regarding the devastating health and social consequences that would ensue.Centuries later, the spread of tobacco from First Nations communities has new relevance. Contraband tobacco, which includes legally produced tobacco sold without payment of all applicable taxes, illegally produced tobacco and counterfeit tobacco products,1 poses a major obstacle to tobacco control globally. Its availability also poses a substantial barrier to smoking cessation, as shown by Mecredy and colleagues in a related article in CMAJ.2 Cheap prices make contraband tobacco more accessible to youth, perpetuating the smoking epidemic. These factors are a major reason why the decline in smoking prevalence has plateaued in Canada in recent years.