17°c A few clouds
22°c Thundershowers
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Manitoba joins other provinces in tobacco lawsuit
Manitoba will seek compensation from tobacco companies for smoking-related heath costs. (GRANT BLACK / POSTMEDIA NEWS ARCHIVES)
Manitoba will join other provinces is suing major tobacco companies to recover the costs of providing health-care services for tobacco-related illnesses.
Justice Minister Andrew Swan and Health Minister Theresa Oswald made the announcement today.
"Treating diseases caused by smoking has been an extraordinary burden on our health-care system and on Manitoba taxpayers," Swan said in a release. "This lawsuit seeks to recover the costs the health-care system has incurred as a result of the tobacco industry's misrepresentations and deceptive practices."
The province says now that its Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act has is now in force, it will co-ordinate with British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in the lawsuit.
Defendants include Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., Philip Morris U.S.A. Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., JTI-Macdonald Corp., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International Inc., Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. and British American Tobacco P.L.C.
"Our government is deeply concerned about the use of tobacco and second-hand smoke in our province and our primary focus is on supporting Manitobans who want to quit smoking, and preventing young Manitobans from taking up the habit in the first place," Oswald said. "We are also quite concerned about the staggering cost of treating smoking-related illnesses in our health-care system and we believe these costs should be recovered from the tobacco industry."
The World Health Organization has declared May 31 as World No Tobacco Day. This year's theme is tobacco industry interference, focusing on the need to counter the tobacco industry's attempts to undermine global tobacco control efforts.
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Blackhawks beat Bruins 6-5 in OT to cap crazy roller-coaster Stanley Cup game
06/19/2013 11:54 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dies at 51 while vacationing in Rome
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Kids of St. Ignatius make Sweet gesture to beloved crossing guard
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- 'Shocking' half of First Nations kids living in poverty, new study finds
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Man convicted of drunk driving in Henderson pile-up
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Portage Ave. stretch re-opens after Friday-night bomb scare
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dies at 51 while vacationing in Rome
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Accounts and accountability: UK committee says bankers must take more responsibility
- Etienne grabs a clue
- Tory attacks on Trudeau boomerang, raise questions about PMO involvement
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- Craig Ferguson adds second show
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.