Province suing tobacco companies

The lawsuit launched by the province of Ontario against 14 tobacco companies in 2009 will go ahead.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has refused to throw out the $50-billion suit.      The province filed it to try and recoup past and present health-care costs related to smoking.      It claims the companies should be on the hook for billions of dollars because they misrepresented the risks of smoking, did not take steps to reduce the effects, and marketed cigarettes toward children and teens.      The tobacco companies argued that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice didn’t have jurisdiction to hear the case.      But the three-judge appeal panel says it sees no legal reason to overturn a lower court ruling that the case should proceed.