Three of the world’s leading tobacco companies — Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco — have agreed to pay more than $23 billion in damages in Canada for harm caused to smokers’ health. About this informs Reuters.
A sum of 32.5 billion Canadian dollars (approximately 23.6 billion US dollars) will be paid to settle the multi-year lawsuit in Canada. This will be the largest compensation paid by tobacco companies in any country in the world, excluding the United States.
People who developed tobacco addiction between 1950 and 1998, as well as their heirs, are entitled to compensation. In addition, Canadian provincial and territorial governments will receive compensation.
The final settlement of the compensation issue still needs several stages of approval, and the process will continue until the end of this year.
It is worth noting that according to the WHO, about 2.7 million people die every year in Europe from the use of tobacco and alcohol.
