Kahnawake to stop selling tobacco products to outsiders, risk of coronavirus spread remains 'extremely high'

A person smokes a cigarette in downtown Ottawa on Sept. 29, 2009. (Pawel Dwulit / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Kahnawake will stop selling tobacco products to people from outside the community on Jan. 1, 2021 in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Kahnawake Peacekeepers, the local police force, will be issuing fines to outsiders trying to buy tobacco in the Mohawk community south of Montreal.

“We want to make it clear that we will do everything we can to reduce our risk,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips in a release announcing the closures.

All tobacco stores will be closed. Essential businesses like gas stations and convenience stores are limited to selling tobacco to local residents only and can be fined up to $10,000 for selling to outsiders.

“This is only one of many initiatives to help prevent the spread of the virus,” said Phillips, “but one that affects a significant number of persons from our neighboring communities who purchase tobacco on a regular basis.

The community updated its alert status to ‘red’ on October 1, 2020.

Household visits have been prohibited and non-essential businesses have closed, while health officials say the risk of transmission remains ‘extremely high’.