Three national health organizations have released an open letter calling on Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking as part of settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies to recoup health-care costs.
The Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Lung Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation say governments should prioritize a cut in tobacco use during talks that began four years ago after provinces filed lawsuits for collective damages that now total about 500-billion dollars.
The organizations say in the letter, released two days before World No Smoking Day, that tobacco causes a devastating toll in disease and death and companies should be held accountable.
All provinces filed lawsuits against Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans, Benson and Hedges, and J-T-I-Macdonald, as well as their foreign parent corporations.
The health organizations say at least 10 per cent of the money from a settlement should go toward long-term funding to slash smoking, with companies required to make higher payments if targets to reduce tobacco use are not met.
Rob Cunningham, a lawyer and senior policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, says the negotiations represent a historic opportunity to reduce tobacco use and control the tobacco industry.