IQALUIT - Nunavut has the highest cigarette prices in Canada, by design.

When the Government of Nunavut passed its new tax on tobacco - raising the cost by $1.35 a pack - it drove prices as high as those in the NWT, which are the highest in Canada.

Grise Fiord leads the way, with a pack of 25 smokes costing a staggering $19.00 a pack.

When the Government of Nunavut passed its new tax on tobacco - raising the cost by $1.35 a pack - it drove prices as high as those in the NWT, which are the highest in Canada. - Kent Driscoll/NNSL photo illustration The price of a regular 25 pack of cigarettes in Nunavut: Arctic Bay: $15.60 Arviat: $15.86 Baker Lake: $15.00 Cambridge Bay: $15.25 Cape Dorset: $14.47 Chesterfield Inlet: $17.25 Clyde River: $17.49 Coral Harbour: Imperial tobacco products $16.15 (all others $15.45) Gjoa Haven: $16.73 Grise Fiord: $19.00 Hall Beach: $17.75 Iglulik: $16.99 Iqaluit: $13.40 Kimmirut: $16.50 Kugaaruk: $15.30 Kugluktuk: $16.75 Pangnirtung: $15.90 Pond Inlet: $17.34 Qikiqtarjuaq: $16.50 Rankin Inlet: $15.00 Repulse Bay: $18.00 Resolute: $16.70 Sanikiluaq: $17.00 Taloyoak: $16.25 Whale Cove: $14.58 Source: Northern stores and Co-ops in every community. Iqaluit numbers are based on the lowest reported price, Baffin Gas. Percentage of Nunavut residents) who smoke: 53.1 per cent Percentage of completely non-smoking households in Nunavut: 67.9 per cent Percentage of Nunavut non-smokers regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in public places: 11.1 per cent Source: Stats Canada

While the price has gone up, Nunavut retailers are not seeing a drop in demand.

"It might have dropped a little bit, but people still buy the same," said Rachel Kakudluk from the Northern Store in Clyde River.

In her community the price for 25 cigarettes is $17.49.

Matt Gee, the manager of the Northern Store in Gjoa Haven, said he quit smoking on Jan. 1. He is saving $16.73 a pack these days.

"That (the tax increase) is one of the reasons I quit. It went up $2.00 in one day, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Gee.

He quit cold turkey, but Gee hasn't seen the same response among his fellow Gjoa Haven residents.

"We are still selling the same amount, I thought we would see a drop-off," said Gee.

Grise Fiord, the northernmost community in Nunavut, often has the distinction of the highest prices in the territory. Cigarettes are no exception.

Tivai Kituktak works at the Grise Fiord Inuit Co-op and he's trying to quit like many in his community.

"There are a few people trying to quit, and me too. I've been off them for a week-and-a-half now, partly because of the price," said Kituktak.

She is trying the patch to quit, but the patch is known for bizarre side effects. Sleepless nights and vivid nightmares are common ailments for patch users.

"For the past two days, I couldn't really sleep well," said Kituktak.

Gee tried to quit a few years ago, with Xyban, an anti-depressant that cuts the desire to smoke.

"This time, I just used regular gum," said a surprisingly calm Gee.

Repulse Bay is a close second to Grise Fiord in cigarette prices. Rosalina Kringayark works at Northern Store in Repulse Bay, and $18 a pack almost made her quit, but she fell a little short.

"I tried quitting, it is very hard when you are a heavy smoker," said Kringayark.

Rather than spend extra money on cigarettes, Kringayark is walking a fine line. She can't quit, but she can cut back to save a few dollars.

"I cut down on cigarettes, so I didn't have to cut back on anything else," said Kringayark.

As for the demand for $18 packs in Repulse Bay, she hasn't seen it go down.

"It is the same," said Kringayark.

Health and social services Minister Leona Aglukkaq did not return phone calls for this story. Cigarettes cost $16.25 in Taloyoak and $16.73 in Gjoa Haven, the two communities she represents in the legislative assembly.