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N.S. proclaims law allowing it to sue tobacco companies for health costs

THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Friday, September 26, 2014 2:17PM ADT Last Updated Friday, September 26, 2014 4:01PM ADT

Scientists still are adding diseases to the long list of cigarettes' harms, 50 years into he war on smoking.

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HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's health minister says a law has been proclaimed that allows the provincial government to sue tobacco manufacturers to help recover health-care costs for illnesses related to tobacco use.

Leo Glavine says the Tobacco Damages and Health-care Costs Recovery Act allows the province to file such a lawsuit, which he says the government plans to do in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court before the end of the year.

Nova Scotia is one of six provinces in a consortium pursuing litigation against tobacco companies.

The other provinces are British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Tobacco companies have argued there is no evidence that they withheld information from smokers about the harmful ingredients in smoking, as has been alleged in other lawsuits.