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Putting out... smoke

A NEW anti-tobacco strategy by the Canadian government involves a series of tough measures. Hiking tobacco taxes, extending a surtax on tobacco manufacturers' profits and banning tobacco advertisement on television, radio and billboards are some of the measures to counter tobacco use. In the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, which represent most of Canada's population, a federal and provincial excise tax will be levied on cigarettes. The new measures which came into effect late last month is expected to net a neat revenue for the Canadian government. According to Paul Martin, the Canadian finance minister, excise taxes on cigarettes will result in us $56 million a year, and the three-year extension of the surtax on tobacco profits will raise around us $49 million a year.

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