A spokesman for Saskatchewan First Nations isn’t burning with enthusiasm over a call by health groups to boost on-reserve tobacco prices.

In fact, Morley Watson , Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations vice-chief, sounded cool to the idea in a recent CBC interview.

Cigarettes sold on-reserve to people with treaty cards are tax-exempt and often several dollars a pack cheaper than cigarettes sold off reserve.

The cigarettes are sold for less to members of First Nations because they’re exempt from provincial taxes.

However, Lynn Greaves, vice-president of the Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction, says getting rid of cheap cigarettes on-reserve would help cut smoking rates.

“Tobacco taxation has been noticed to be the strongest tobacco reduction measure that exists in the world today,” she said.

Her group is among those calling on First Nations to impose their own levy to make up the difference in order to dissuade people from an unhealthy habit.

Watson said the proposal is a business decision for individual communities.

“If these [health] organizations are so concerned about Indians using tobacco, then I think they should help out financially so we can get that message out there a lot quicker to a lot more people,” he said.

Watson said he has other issues on his mind, such as making sure First Nations get the full cigarette tax rebate from the province that they’re entitled to.

Stores on reserves have to pay the tax up front and then claim it from the government.

Watson argues there are discrepancies between the province’s numbers and those of the First Nations.

“I think it’s going to be surprising … how much is owed to our First Nation community stores,” he said. “That’s something we’re working on as we speak.”