Kinew province says it uses tobacco suit to fight cancer

Profits from a big anti-tobacco lawsuit could see a huge boost to helping cancer patients.

“Every dollar goes into the fight against cancer,” said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

Kinew said his government has been told the province could receive up to half a billion dollars in settlements against tobacco companies later this year or next year — and possibly more in the future.

Manitoba filed a lawsuit in 2012 to join other provinces.

“We're getting enough clear signals that I think it's time for Manitobans to hear the news that dollars are coming in from these tobacco courts,” Kineau said.

The premier said some of the money will be used to expand CancerCare Manitoba.

When CancerCare Manitoba opened in 2003, it was already full.

Plans for a new arts facility were shelved by the previous Conservative government in 2017.

“So now we have to update that you can't say exactly those plans off the shelf, so we want to spend some time working with CancerCare Manitoba,” he said. prime minister

The Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance (MANTRA) says the amount of funding will not fully cover the decades of damage caused by smoking.

“In fact, smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in our country. In fact, it causes about 50,000 deaths a year,” says Cynthia Carr of MANTRA.

However, the organization says this is an opportunity beyond the new CancerCare building. He says that preventive measures should be strengthened.

“Cutting access to tobacco products, tobacco products and vaping is certainly an important youth health issue,” Carr said.

The Prime Minister said that part of the money will be allocated to preventive measures.

“We are already taking some measures. The introduction of the vape tax is one example. We will definitely be there to talk about the next steps,” Kineu said.