Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Tob Control. 2019 Dec;28(e2):e141-e147. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054687. Epub 2019 Feb 15.
The illicit trade in tobacco products (ITTP) is widely recognised as a substantial and complex problem in Canada. However, the independence of available data and quality of analyses remains unknown. Reliable and accurate data on the scale and causes of the problem are needed to inform effective policy responses.
We searched the scholarly and grey literature using keywords related to ITTP in Canada. We identified 26 studies published in English since 2008 that present original research drawing on primary data. We analysed these studies for their independence from the tobacco industry, methodology, findings and gaps in knowledge.
The study finds 42% of the literature reviewed has links to the tobacco industry. These studies provide insufficient methodological detail, present higher estimates of the volume of ITTP and attribute the causes to higher rates of tobacco taxation. The classification of all indigenous tobacco sales as illicit, by both industry linked and independent studies, contributes to overestimates and serves the interests of transnational tobacco companies. There is need for independent and comprehensive data on the ITTP in Canada over time, across population groups and geographies.
While there is evidence that the ITTP in Canada is a major and complex issue that requires effective tobacco control policies, there is a limited evidence base on which to develop such responses. This review finds industry-linked studies lack independence, employ biased methodologies and serve tobacco industry interests. Independent studies present more rigorous approaches, but primarily focus on youth and the province of Ontario.
非法烟草制品贸易（ITTP）在加拿大被广泛认为是一个严重且复杂的问题。然而，现有数据的独立性和分析质量仍然未知。需要可靠和准确的数据来了解问题的规模和原因，以便为有效的政策应对提供信息。
我们使用与加拿大 ITTP 相关的关键词在学术和灰色文献中进行了搜索。我们确定了自 2008 年以来以原始数据为基础发表的 26 篇英文研究，这些研究提供了原创性研究。我们分析了这些研究的独立性、方法学、研究结果和知识空白。
研究发现，42%的文献与烟草业有关。这些研究提供的方法细节不足，对 ITTP 数量的估计较高，并将原因归因于较高的烟草税税率。行业关联和独立研究都将所有土著烟草销售归类为非法，这导致了过高的估计，并符合跨国烟草公司的利益。需要在时间上、在不同人群和地理区域对加拿大的 ITTP 进行独立和全面的数据收集。
尽管有证据表明加拿大的 ITTP 是一个重大而复杂的问题，需要有效的烟草控制政策，但用于制定这些政策的证据基础有限。本综述发现，行业关联研究缺乏独立性，采用有偏见的方法，并为烟草业的利益服务。独立研究提出了更严格的方法，但主要集中在青年和安大略省。
