Some businesses in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, the Haut-Saint-Laurent and Vaudreuil-Soulanges will not be permitted to sell cigarettes for a month after having been caught selling tobacco products to minors.
According to information obtained by the Journal Saint-François, four businesses operating in Saint-Timothée, Nitro and Jacques-Cartier in Valleyfield were caught when a minor, employed by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec, attempted to purchase cigarettes.
Other offenders in the Suroît of article 13, paragraph 1, of the Tobacco Act come from Saint-Anicet, Godmanchester and Ile Perrot. The owners of convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations at fault were fined $600 including fees. Furthermore, an administrative penalty in the case of a first offence will result in a 30 day suspension of their sales permit. This ban on selling cigarettes can be increased to six months or two years if the merchant is found guilty three times within five years.
According to a document obtained by the Journal from the MSSS, the violations were committed between July 7 and August 6, 2014. The judgments were handed down by the Minister of Justice between March 30 and May 21, 2015.
When there is an alleged sale to a person under the age of 18, a prosecution brief is sent to the ministère de la Justice by the MSSS. Once a guilty verdict is pronounced, a request for suspension is sent to Revenu Québec which establishes the penalty dates.
The fine and length of suspension varies depending on the owner’s conviction background. The notification is followed by a rigorous process which includes drafting the report, delays with the court and completing the request for suspension from Revenu Québec.
Under the full application of the Law, the word “tobacco” also includes accessories such as cigarette tubes, papers and filters, pipes and cigarette holders. Businesses that are found guilty are obliged to post a notice of infraction prominently displayed. The Journal took note of this while making purchases – other than tobacco – in a variety of establishments affected by criminal fines and permit suspensions. For most of these businesses, the loss of revenue for a month from the sale of cigarette amounts to several thousand dollars.
Offenders in the Suroît region
Business and location Date of violation
Jardins Nitro, boulevard Hébert, Valleyfield 2014-07-09
Petro T boulevard Hébert, Valleyfield 2014-07-09
Dépanneur du Cartier rue Jacques-Cartier, Valleyfield 2014-07-16
Garage Savary boulevard Hébert, Valleyfield 2014-07-09
Tradition Vincent & Frères route 132, Saint-Anicet 2014-07-28
Dépanneur Herdman route 202, Hinchinbrooke 2014-07-28
Dépanneur Don-Quichotte rue Don-Quichotte, Ile Perrot 2014-08-06
