New provincial regulations on the import or possession of cigarette filter components will come into effect on January 1, 2018.
Effective January 1, 2018, the Ontario government is imposing restrictions on the import, possession, sale and delivery of cigarette filter components to tobacco manufacturers registered under the Tobacco Tax Act, except for any exemptions prescribed under the regulation.
The regulation will place restrictions on the sale and delivery of cigarette filter components in Ontario. It will also establish offences and penalties for anyone who imports and possesses cigarette filter components without holding a manufacturer’s registration certificate, or sells and delivers these components to unregistered manufacturers.
As announced in the 2017 Ontario Budget, the government amended the Tobacco Tax Act in May 2017 to restrict the import and possession of cigarette filter components to registered manufacturers. The Ontario Ministry of Finance is developing the regulatory and administrative measures required to support these amendments.
As part of the development process, a summary of the proposal and a discussion paper are available for public comment on the Ontario Regulatory Registry.
Consultation is open for comment and feedback on the proposed changes until November 13, 2017.
Input can be provided by email to MOF-PPAB@ontario.ca or by mail to:
Ministry of Finance
Program Policy and Analytics Branch
7 Queen’s Park Crescent, 2nd floor
Toronto ON M7A 1Y7