New Brunswick sets sights on big tobacco

New Brunswick's Liberal government intends to sue the tobacco industry for health care costs associated with smoking.

The move follows a law passed by the previous Tory governmentto enable anti-tobacco lawsuits.

British Columbia was the first province to pass a law enabling itself to sue tobacco companies. The law stood up to a Supreme Court challenge.

New Brunswick is now set to be the second province to haul the tobacco industry into court. Health Minister Mike Murphy says the province wants to recover the money that taxpayers have spenttreating sick smokers.

"Who among us doesn't know someone whose life has been cut short because of smoking?" Murphy asked during a Thursday afternoon press conference. "And who wouldn't want us to take whatever steps to prevent this in the future? Tobacco companies certainly know the pain and suffering caused by the use and exposure of their products, and we believe it's time they be held accountable."

Attorney General T.J. Burke says the province is requesting proposals from top law firms across North America to take New Brunswick's case for a share of the settlement.

"Our act alters the limitation periods for suits to recover health care costs. It allows government to take direct action against tobacco companies by eliminating the need to prove individual cases to advance suit. And it provides for liability if government can prove on a balance of probability that the type of tobacco product sold can cause or contribute to diseases."

Canadian Cancer Society spokeswoman Lynn Ann Duffley backs the government 100 per cent. "We're very supportive of this move forward. It indicates to the tobacco industry that we're serious about tobacco control. It will hold them accountable for their practices in the past," shesaid. "We know they aggressively marketed in children and to women, that they withheld internal health research that communicated that their products were deadly and addictive."

The government plans to proclaim its tobacco lawsuit legislationand select a law firm to wield it early in the new year.