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Excerpts from: Nova Scotia law allows police to take teens' tobacco

By BARRY BROWN / News Toronto Bureau Buffalo (NY) News, 2002-12-29[12/31/02]
 
Raising the ante in its fight to keep young people from tobacco addiction, Canada's east coast province of Nova Scotia has made it illegal for anyone under 19 years old to possess cigarettes or other tobacco products.

Starting Jan. 1, police will not charge or fine users but are empowered to confiscate the products. This is one step beyond the rules elsewhere in Canada, where laws exist to prevent minors from buying and vendors from selling to them, but there is no way to stop minors from using tobacco once they have it.

Jamie Muir, who introduced the law when he served as the province's health minister earlier this year, said it simply closes a loophole.