CovOps
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 |  Subject: ANCAPS Good News: Canadian 'loophole' allows minors to import tobacco  Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:07 pm | |
| VANCOUVER–A union leader for Canadian border guards says he was ``astounded" to learn they have no legal right to stop children from bringing tobacco products over the border from other countries.
The discovery has set off a call for action from border guards, health and service agencies and the minister in charge of public safety.
A Canada Border Services Agency memo released to the media Friday said a loophole in the regulations doesn't restrict minors from importing cigarettes and other tobacco items.
George Scott, national vice-president of the Customs and Excise Union, said guards don't like the regulations but have not choice but to enforce them.
"It doesn't make sense," Scott said. "It's not right."
He said airport guards have had to clear parents of young children who use them to bring in more cigarettes.
"They've had to allow them to have cartons of cigarettes because they have a couple of kids with them."
Scott said a manager at the Canadian Border Services Agency told him the loophole was discovered last year and that a memo about the change in regulations was sent to guards about 10 months ago.
"I had to read it more than once, I was astounded." Scott said. ``It means that we're changing the exemptions."
Scott said it appears guards never had the legal authority to stop minors from bringing in tobacco.
The regulations restricting minors from bringing in alcohol haven't changed.
A spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the minister has sent a memo to the CBSA directing the agency to work with Health Canada to determine if legislation could close the loophole.
"Just to be clear, it is not the government of Canada's policy to allow children to import tobacco products into Canada," Melisa Leclerc said.
Scott McDonald, executive director of the B.C. Lung Association, hopes the legal hole can be patched quickly.
"This is an embarrassment," he said. "The government of Canada has been a leader, worldwide, in tobacco reduction strategies."
McDonald said most young people need education around tobacco and in some cases they need regulation to help them make the right decisions.
The head of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association said he was shocked to hear about the loophole and called on government to go further than just fixing the problem.
"It's clear we need to seriously look at a ban on youth tobacco possession to complement existing age-restriction laws to keep cigarettes out of the hands of youth," Dave Bryans said in a news release.
Scott said guards haven't seen a glut of children wanting to bring cigarettes over the border.
"I'm in a bad situation to an extent," he said. "I don't want to make this widespread where people are going to start doing this."
Scott said he was pleased to hear there will be a review – "as a Canadian and a person who wants to do the right thing, the ethical thing."
"It seems to contradict everything else that we do as a law enforcement organization," he said of the current regulations.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/326254
OK kids... let it rip!!! Make a killing!
Long live free trade!
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“The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime.”-- Max Stirner
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RR Phantom
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| | Subject: Re: ANCAPS Good News: Canadian 'loophole' allows minors to import tobacco Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:16 pm | |
|  Another heart warming story...
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