Starting today, smokers in Ontario who want to quit won't have to pay provincial sales taxes on stop-smoking aids -- and the health promotion minister is urging Ottawa to follow suit.
Jim Watson, who announced the exemption on all nicotine replacement therapy products, such as nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, sprays and tablets last month, said the federal government should do the same and remove the goods and services tax.
"I'm hopeful that the federal government will see that this is a good tax cut that they should be involved with," Watson told The Canadian Press.
As of Monday, a smoker who decides to butt out and spends about $300 over 10 weeks on nicotine replacement products will save roughly $24, Watson said.
If the federal government followed suit and dropped the GST on such products, it would save Ontario smokers another $18, he added.
"It's not a huge amount...but we think it's a good way to let people know the government of Ontario is serious about helping people to quit smoking," he told CP.
Watson said he's lobbied federal Health Minister Tony Clement and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to drop the GST on the over-the-counter products, but has yet to hear anything from them.
Ontario stands to lose roughly $5 million in tax revenue a year from stop-smoking aids, but Watson said it will save the province money in the long run.
Smoking kills an average of 16,000 people in Ontario each year, while tobacco-related diseases cost the health care system about $1.7 billion annually, he said.
Smoking also accounts for at least 500,000 hospital days each year and is blamed for more than $4.4 billion in productivity losses.
With files from The Canadian Press
