Quebec will follow the lead of Ontario, British Columbia and other provinces that are suing big tobacco companies for the astronomical health costs of smoking.
The Charest Liberals tabled a bill on Thursday afternoon that allows them to file lawsuits as a third party on behalf of taxpayers who fork out an estimated $1 billion a year to take care of smokers.
Eight other provinces already have similar laws.
Death toll
Quebec says that smoking and smoking-related illnesses kill 10,000 people a year in the province.
That's more than alcohol, road accidents, suicides and murder combined.
Studies show that smoking increases the risks of a number of different types of cancers and also increases the risk of heart disease, lung disease and pregnancy problems.
Tobacco's reaction
Imperial Tobacco of Montreal tried and failed to stop B.C. from enacting a law in 2000 that opened the door to health-related lawsuits. The Supreme Court upheld B.C.'s law in 2005.
Tobacco companies say the legal fees would be better spent on fighting contraband tobacco, which comprises an estimated 40% of the market.
