Question Period Note: PROPOSED SETTLEMENT WITH TOBACCO COMPANIES

• Canadian tobacco companies may be close to a comprehensive settlement of civil claims and court judgments relating to the health impact of their products.
• The Government of Canada is not a party to these proceedings, but may be asked to comment.

KEY MESSAGES
• Approximately 46,000 people in Canada are dying from tobacco-related illnesses every year. These are deaths that we can prevent.
• Canada is a global leader on many fronts in tobacco control. In fact, Canada has amongst the lowest youth smoking rates in the world.
• The Government of Canada is not a party to these proceedings. The proposed settlement is before the court, therefore I will refrain from commenting further.
• We will be monitoring the progress of the proposal and next steps.
IF PRESSED ON …
Does the Minister support the proposed settlement? In particular, should the Foundation have a broader mandate to support smoking cessation and public education?
• The Government of Canada is not a party to these proceedings. The proposed settlement is still before the court, therefore I will refrain from commenting further.
• Smoking cessation and public education on the harms of smoking are an important priority for all Canadian governments.

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