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.
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.
