Smokers' Use of Contraband Tobacco
The 2009 report, "Prevalence and correlates of purchasing contraband cigarettes on First Nations reserves in Ontario, Canada", provided evidence of the prevalence of contraband use in Ontario. The researchers used the 2005-2006 data from the Ontario Tobacco Survey (OTS) (Luk et al., 2009) to analyze the prevalence of contraband use as well as characteristics of Ontarians who use contraband tobacco and how they access it. The data were generated from a cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario residents, 18 years of age and older. The final sample included 1,382 smokers.
Defining contraband tobacco strictly as cigarettes purchased on a Native reserve, the researchers found that that 25.8% of smokers surveyed indicated they had purchased cigarettes on a reserve in the previous six months while 11.5% revealed they usually purchased their cigarettes on reserves. The researchers estimated that 14% of the total cigarettes consumed by current smokers in Ontario between January 2005 and June 2006 were purchased on reserves.
Although Native reserves are one of the more popular places for contraband purchase (GfK Dynamics, 2008), there are other sources of contraband tobacco (RCMP, 2008). The researchers acknowledge this and speculate that their definition of contraband could lead to a conservative estimate of contraband use in Ontario. Additionally, Luk et al. (2009) note that the OTS data is based purely on self reports leading to the possibility that figures are an under-representation of actual amounts of tobacco being purchased on reserves given that people may not want to disclose their participation in an illegal activity. Finally, information on ethnicity was not collected so researchers were unable to determine if some of the reported purchases of reserve cigarettes were by First Nations people buying the product legally (Luk et. al., 2009).
Other national studies reviewing Canadian smokers' cigarette purchases from First Nations reserves have found varying prevalence. Using 2002 data from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) Hyland at al. (2005) found that approximately 2% of current adult smokers had made their last cigarette purchase from a First Nations reserve. In comparison, more recent data from the 2008 CTUMS survey found that less than 20% of current Canadian smokers had purchased cigarettes from a First Nations reserve in the past 6 months (Reid & Hammond, 2009). As Luk at al. (2009) note, the difference in prevalence of reserve purchases found in these two studies may be a result of the different reference and survey periods used.
Use of contraband by smokers in Quebec reflects similar patterns. A study commissioned by the Quebec Ministries of Finance and Health and Social Services found that in 2006,14% of smokers had either bought or smoked contraband cigarettes within the three months prior to the November telephone survey (Luk et al., 2007). It was further noted by 45% of these smokers that their contraband consumption was at least half of their total cigarette consumption (Luk et al., 2007).
In an extensive review of contraband use, Imperial Tobacco Canada commissioned the GfK Research Dynamics group to conduct a national survey on the use of illicit Tailor-Made cigarettes in Canada. (Tailor-Made is a brand of contraband cigarettes.) A Canadian sample representative of age, gender and household income was selected. Beginning in 2006, adults (19 years of age or older) who smoked more than five cigarettes a day were recruited by random digit dial to do a 30 minute in-home interview.
Researchers concluded the interview by asking participants for permission to take their current pack of cigarettes. In total 2,300 smokers from across Canada participated in the study. Analysis of the collected cigarettes showed that 16.5% were illegal - defined as cigarettes sold without appropriate payment of taxes (GfK Dynamics, 2006). Of those cigarettes branded as illicit, 95% were found to be manufactured on reserves (GfK Dynamics, 2006).
Significant differences in prevalence of contraband use existed between the provinces. Of particular note, Ontario and Quebec were found to have the highest proportions of smokers using contraband tobacco (GfK Dynamics, 2006). In both provinces illegal tobacco was determined to be the second leading "brand" of cigarettes (GfK Dynamics, 2006).
Imperial Tobacco Canada conducted follow up studies in 2007 and 2008. In each consecutive year the prevalence of contraband tobacco in Canadian homes increased. In 2007, 22%o of the past seven day purchase volume was found to be illegal and this number increased to 32.7%> in 2008 (GfK Dynamics, 2008). Ontario continued to show the highest past seven day purchasing volume of illegal tobacco with 31.6%> of tobacco in 2007, and 48.6% in 2008 being classified as illegal (GfK Dynamics, 2008).
Limited details about the methodology used in this study demand that results are interpreted with some caution. For example, the pack-swap design could allow for a more reliable review of the cigarettes and their make in comparison to self-report contraband use, but only if all participants agreed to swap all cigarettes. If participants chose not to swap their contraband cigarettes then the results would be an under-representation of the amount of contraband tobacco in homes.
Most recent data on contraband tobacco use in the province of Ontario come from a small scale cigarette butt study conducted by NIRIC (2010a) on behalf of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association. Government buildings and public locations (such as the train station) in the city of Ottawa were surveyed and results showed that 15%-32% of cigarettes at the sites were classified as illegal (NIRIC, 2010a). The demographics of the individuals who discarded the surveyed butts is entirely speculative, however it could likely be presumed that butts collected from public places like the train station would be from a heterogeneous group of smokers; likely mainly adults. Limited details of the methodology used for this study makes it difficult for comparisons to be made to other studies that have reviewed illegal tobacco use in Ontario such as those done by Luk at al. (2009) and GfK Dynamics (2008).
