By Jerry Zhang and Aditi Roy

Across Canada, federal tax on cigarettes has continued to rise in recent years, going from $0.95391 in 2025 to $0.97299 in 2026.  This trend will likely continue in its upward trajectory due to inflation and custom duties—making nicotine products more expensive. The steep price of cigarettes coupled with the ongoing economic turmoil heightens the burdens of nicotine addiction for Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students. 

While higher prices are meant to discourage nicotine usage, some students and experts say addiction makes the financial burden seem less significant—leading users to cut back on everyday necessities. 

Troy Toidze, a third-year media production student, said he smokes roughly a pack a day and spends “right under a $100” a week on cigarettes. 

“[The increase] is such a minute difference,” he said. “It doesn’t quite kill me yet, but it is extremely expensive.” 

Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, said, “If you were to do the calculations, a pack a day, at $14 a day, 365 days. That’s $5,100 a year.” 

Cunningham’s example, though accurate, would be even higher in 2026, as cigarette prices have now risen and can go up to $16—even more for premium brands in Ontario, according to Smokes Canada. This means a more accurate estimate would be $5,840 a year, given the average pack being priced at $16. 

This price increase is significant, considering the cost of living in the Greater Toronto Area has risen from $26 in 2024 to $27.20 in 2025, according to the Ontario Living Wage Network.

When money is tight, Toidze resorts to cheaper brands or smokes half a cigarette and saves the rest for later.

Kadell Moore, a third-year photography student who quit smoking last month, said cigarettes often came at the expense of other things.

“I would put [the] cost towards a pack of cigarettes instead of other stuff,” Moore said. “What do I really want? Do I want to get a meal from Chipotle or a pack of cigarettes?” At one point, he said he resorted to what he calls a European breakfast—a cigarette and coffee, to ease the financial burden. 

Cynthia Callard is the former executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, who still maintains a connection to the organization through volunteering. She said that these decisions reflect a pattern of addiction. “People who smoke are way more likely to be food insecure than people who aren’t,” she said.

Moore said these trade-offs weren’t apparent until he analyzed his long-term spending. “Over time, yes, in the moment, it doesn’t seem like it,” he said in reference to the compounding cost of smoking. 

Rika Kim, a second-year child and youth care student, said smoking is far too embedded in her daily routine. 

“I just can’t stop…I need it,” she said, going on to explain the extent of her addiction. “If I don’t have it, there’s like an empty spot in my life.”

Cunningham explained the strategic fiscal policy in place to discourage smokers from continuing. 

“Higher tobacco taxes are the most effective strategy to reduce smoking,” he said. “They’re even more effective among younger people because younger people are more responsive to higher prices,” he added. 

This economic burden extends beyond individuals. Cunningham said tobacco use costs Canada about $5.4 billion annually in health care, with roughly 46,000 deaths each year linked to smoking. 

A federal report by Health Canada estimates $5.25 billion in lost productivity costs every year due to premature death and long-term disability.

Global News reports that 7.3 per cent of young adults aged 18 to 29 use nicotine products daily—the highest among all age demographics. This increased use of nicotine and tobacco products will only add to the mounting healthcare costs. 

Kim reflects on the amount she has spent on tobacco products, “I do think about adding up all the weeks in one month, and I could have used that money for something else.” 

For students like Toidze the financial strain of nicotine addiction isn’t a sufficient push to stop smoking—he would be more likely to quit for health reasons. 

In his effort to quit smoking, Moore said he accessed a free six-week nicotine replacement program through the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which provided patches and gum at no cost. He said the price of store-bought patches cost him around $40 a box and had previously been a barrier to quitting.

A study from Canadian Respiratory Journal, approximates the cost of such therapies to be around $2.50 to $4.50 per day, in Canada.

“The replacement therapy is much more expensive than the cigarettes themselves,” Moore said, outlining the barrier to quitting.