Brazil Sues Tobacco Companies To Recover Public Health Costs

Source from:  Charlotte Observer 05/24/2019

Tobacco giant Philip Morris said Thursday that Brazil's courts have consistently ruled that tobacco companies are not liable for smoking-related health damages after the country's attorney general filed a lawsuit seeking to recover costs to the public health system in treating such illnesses.

The suit filed Tuesday against Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco seeks to recuperate losses over the last five years for the treatment of 26 diseases with scientifically proven links to tobacco usage. It is the first of its kind in Latin America.

In a statement, Philip Morris responded by saying: "It is worth noting that for the past 20 years, courts in Brazil have consistently found that tobacco manufacturers are not liable for smoking-related damages given that the sale of cigarettes is a legal, heavily regulated activity and that the health risks of smoking have been well-known for decades."

It said it had not yet been notified of the lawsuit so could not comment on specific allegations.  Enditem