A smoker puts out a cigarette in a public ash tray in Ottawa on May 31, 2016. Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay billions of dollars to provincial and territorial governments as well as smokers across Canada as part of a corporate restructuring process set off by a legal battle over the health effects of smoking. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Republished October 17, 2024 - 8:16 PM
Original Publication Date October 17, 2024 - 4:26 PM
Three tobacco giants would pay billions of dollars to provincial and territorial governments as well as smokers across Canada as part of a proposed deal in a corporate restructuring process set off by a legal battle over the health effects of smoking.
Here are the key numbers of the proposal, based on a court filing as well as one of the parties in the Quebec class action.
$24.725 billion: Amount to be paid to the provinces and territories.
$6 billion: The share of the amount for provinces and territories expected to be paid out at the time the deal is implemented.
$4.25 billion: Amount to be paid to the plaintiffs in two Quebec class-action lawsuits.
$2.521 billion: Amount to be paid to smokers in the rest of Canada who were diagnosed with lung cancer, throat cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease between March 2015 and March 2019.
$1 billion, including a $131 million contribution from the compensation to the Quebec plaintiffs: Amount to be paid to a foundation to fight tobacco-related diseases.
$15 million: Amount to be paid to tobacco producers.
$100,000: Maximum amount available to each Quebec plaintiff who files a claim for compensation.
$60,000: Maximum amount available to smokers in the rest of Canada covered by the deal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly said the companies had proposed the payments laid out in the proposed arrangement.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2024