The decades-long battle between tobacco companies and health care providers in Canada has opened a new chapter this spring with an offensive undertaken by a coalition of medical and legal experts.
The coalition, which includes the Canada Medical Association, recently launched its Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud. A principal goal of the campaign is to convince provincial governments not to take out-of-court settlements in ongoing legal battles with tobacco companies.
Nine provinces have launched lawsuits against Canada tobacco manufacturers, with claims in excess of $10 billion, to recover public health care costs resulting from tobacco use.
The coalition says it is vital that the provinces resist the temptation to take out-of-court settlement cash from the tobacco companies.
“Ultimately this isn't about money,” the coalition said. “It's about winning the battle for health of Canadians and exposing who the enemy is in that battle.
“Manufacturers will not negotiate in a meaningful way unless attorneys general in Canada are prepared both to go to trial and, preferably, take the manufacturers through trial.”
The coalition says unless tobacco companies are made to face trial, those same companies will “demand that provinces make huge concessions in order to obtain a settlement.”
As well, the coalition believes that public trials, instead of out-of-court settlements, are the only way to make public the tobacco companies' documents related to “tobacco risks, nicotine addiction, second-hand smoke and targeting of youth.”
While the coalition obviously has the well-being of Canadians at heart, whether provincial governments will be prepared to set aside billions of dollars in out-of-court settlements in favour of hard-fought and very costly trials remains an open question.
As one of the largest benefactors of legal tobacco sales, provincial governments are of course caught in the middle of this health care-tobacco company battle.
And all the while, tobacco-related illnesses continue to cost Alberta taxpayers millions and millions of dollars every year in health care spending, not to mention the ongoing suffering of cancer victims and their families.
This new Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud represents a vigorous new effort by the anti-tobacco interests in Canada. Health care and legal experts have put their cards on the table and ordinary Canadians can be thankful for that.
The big question now is whether provincial governments are prepared to make the long-term commitment necessary to make this new public health campaign a success. West Central Alberta residents will be watching closely to see how the Hancock PCs respond.
