Quebec said it is launching a suit seeking CAD 60 billion (EUR 46.5 billion) in damges from 11 tobacco companies, making it the fifth Canadian province to seek redress for health costs from tobacco-related illness, according to CBC/Radio Canada.

Quebec Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier said province residents were misled about the dangers of smoking. The lawsuit covers a time period from 1970 to 2030, the CBC reported.
Imperial Tobacco Canada is launching a counter suit, according to CBC. “This lawsuit is a cash grab by a provincial government looking to score political points while conveniently forgetting that it has been a senior partner in the tobacco industry for decades," said Donald McCarthy, vice president of law at Imperial Canada, as quoted by CBC.
Other companies named in the suit include British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International and the U.S. unit, Japan Tobacco (JTI Macdonald Corp.), R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and Carreras Rothmans, the Quebec Justice Ministry said in a statement on 8 June.
British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Ontario also have filed suits. (pi)