Sue Smoke Makers Says Supreme Court
By 250 News
Friday, September 30, 2005 02:01 AM
The Supreme Court of Canada has given the green light for B.C. to sue the tobacco companies for dollars spent on treating tobacco related illnesses. It has ruled B.C. has the constitutional right to launch such action.
In doing so the Supreme Court has opened the door for all ten provinces to do the same.
Provincial Health Minister George Abbott was thrilled with the ruling saying "Now we can proceed with our case to recover the costs that are owed to the taxpayers of B.C.”
Similar court rulings in the United States, lead the tobacco companies south of the 49th to reach an agreement where they would pay hundreds of millions of dollars to States over numerous years.
Observers say if the province gets any such money from tobacco companies, the money is best served going to where it is intended, namely health care. They say that in the U.S. it has been the experience that dollars have been side tracked and used for all sorts of things, including road repairs
B.C. has estimated it spends $500 million a year treating tobacco related illnesses.
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