Wildrose leader says Tory overtaxing to blame for cigarette scandal

While the battle continues over the RCMP's confiscation of a Hobbema First Nation Band's 14 million cigarettes, an Alberta party leader says overtaxing by the provincial government is to blame for the issue.

"I think there is a balance between how far we can go to turning a legal substance into a contraband - that's essentially what we've done," said Wildrose Alliance Party Leader Danielle Smith.

She made the comments earlier this month as guest speaker at the Wetaskiwin & District Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon.

"Because we've put such onerous taxes on these (cigarettes), it's actually created an underground market for people who are trying to skirt away from the taxes."

Smith was responding to a question regarding a Jan. 5 incident, where the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission (ALGC) Hobbema RCMP conducted a record seizure of 75,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes, which could have cost the provincial government $3 million in loss tax revenue.

The illegal smokes were discovered inside a Quonset hut following a reported break and enter on the First Nations Reserve, located about 15 kilometres south of Wetaskiwin.

The Montana Band, its Chief Carolyn Buffalo and Quebec company Rainbow Tobbaco, have filed $1.5 million lawsuit against the AGLC, citing it had no jurisdiction under the Alberta Tobacco Tax Act to seize the smokes in the first place.

The suit is requesting the return of the cigarettes as well as almost $1.5 million in compensation.

Alberta Aboriginal Relations minister Len Webber told the Times, during a stop in Wetaskiwin last month, that since there is an ongoing investigation, the cigarettes will not be returned to the Montana band any time soon.

Smith said a better balance has to be struck when dealing with a legal substance.

"There are a number of vices that we recognize that we don't want to see here a proliferation of, which is why the government steps in to regulate. "Gambling is one. If you want to have a VLT, you have to go through Alberta Gaming. They don't try to stomp it out, and the reason for that is they know if they were to decriminalize it, it would create a huge black market of underground gambling activity," said Smith.

Illegal cigarettes seized from Howdon home

Police and customs officials have seized thousands of cigarettes from a house on Tyneside.

The raid, on a property in Howdon, followed reports from people living nearby, who were concerned that they were being sold to children.

The haul of 15,000 cigarettes and 7.5kg of tobacco was valued at more than £4,000 in unpaid excise and VAT.

A local man was interviewed under caution and the case is being sent to trading standards officers.

Government-Supplied Marijuana Cigarettes from Miami Are Lost in the Mail

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Elvy Mussika is a former South Florida resident who uses medical marijuana -- grown and supplied directly by the federal government. As detailed in our October "Legalize It" issue, the government started a program in 1982 that supplied pre-rolled joints to patients with chronic conditions. George H.W. Bush cut all new prescriptions when he was in office, but a few legal tokers remain. We profiled Irvin Rosenfeld, a Fort Lauderdale stock trader who tokes up legally, in the open, every day.

Now Mussika -- "one of the four remaining United States citizens who still receives medical marijuana from the United States government" -- has lost her pot.

JAABlog has the scoop on this one: In a letter to the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the postmaster general, Mussika's lawyer, Norm Kent of Fort Lauderdale, explains the mix-up.

Mussika recently moved to Eugene, Oregon (a logical development, all things considered), and was unable to pick up her six tins of 300 marijuana cigarettes before flying out West. So she appointed Kent to make the pickup himself, and mail the 1,800-joint, six-month supply to her new home.

But apparently, Kent wrote the ZIP code wrong. Instead of "97405," he wrote "90405," which may have landed the packages in Santa Monica, California. Hence his letter to the DEA and the postmaster.

Japan Tobacco to halt domestic shipments of cigarettes due to supply disruptions after tsunami

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world's No. 3 tobacco maker, says it will suspend shipments of cigarettes within Japan due to disruptions in supply following the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Company spokeswoman Yumiko Hanamura said Friday that Japan Tobacco will halt shipments of all tobacco brands, including the popular Camel and Winston, from March 30 to April 10.
Japan Tobacco is the latest in a string of companies affected by the March 11 disaster, which decimated much of northern Japan. Police said Friday the death toll surpassed the 10,000 mark, and it could jump as more than 17,400 people are still missing.

Japan Tobacco to halt domestic shipments of cigarettes due to supply disruptions after tsunami

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world's No. 3 tobacco maker, says it will suspend shipments of cigarettes within Japan due to disruptions in supply following the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Company spokeswoman Yumiko Hanamura said Friday that Japan Tobacco will halt shipments of all tobacco brands, including the popular Camel and Winston, from March 30 to April 10.
Japan Tobacco is the latest in a string of companies affected by the March 11 disaster, which decimated much of northern Japan. Police said Friday the death toll surpassed the 10,000 mark, and it could jump as more than 17,400 people are still missing.

South Somerset company auctions rare cigarette cards

The London Cigarette Card Company based in Somerton has 430 lots, including cards dating back to 1896.

Some of the famous faces on sale include footballer Stanley Matthews, actress Marilyn Monroe and cartoon character Dan Dare.

A series of cards featuring cricketers including WG Grace and AE Stoddart is estimated to fetch £3,000.

Managing director Ian Laker said it was rare to find individual cards from the Wills' 50 Cricketers 1896 series, let alone a full set.

"Cards like this come up once every five years or so," he said.

Cigarette cards date back the 1890s when manufacturers used to wrap cigarettes in paper and place a protective piece of card inside.

Producers then realised that money could be made out of the cards as they became increasingly popular.

"People from all walks of life collect cards," Mr Laker explained.

"A lot of people come back into the hobby because they've collected cards as a child, say the Brooke Bond Tea cards.

"Then 30 years on, they've seen that they can still get them and rekindle their childhood and so on, through nostalgia."

There were so many cigarette cards produced in the 1930s that when World War II broke out production was halted because the government needed the paper for the war effort.

The auction closes at midnight on Saturday and bids can be made by phone or online.

Cost of cigarettes to rise by up to 50p a pack

Smokers have been hit by the budget, with tobacco prices up 2% above inflation from . Duty on hand-rolling tobacco was raised by 10%. A packet of economy cigarettes now costs 50p more, while premium brands are up 33p as the government pursues both cash and health objectives.

Small shops rely on tobacco sales – they make up a third of a newsagent's trade – and warned the rise in taxes would endanger small businesses by boosting the black market. Ken Patel, a newsagent from Leicester and spokesman for the Tobacco Retailers' Alliance, said: "What we have seen in previous years is that when the government increases tobacco taxes, smokers turn to the black market, where they can buy products at half the price."