[Intl-tobacco] Govt may consider suing tobacco firms -- The Press -- Monday, January 17, 2000 (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Govt may consider suing tobacco firms -- The Press -- Monday, January 17, 2000
NEW ZEALAND;
Source: The Press, Monday, 1/17/00

WELLINGTON -- Tobacco companies say they will vigorously defend any legal
action taken against them by the Government to recoup health costs
associated with smoking.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday she would meet Action on Smoking
and Health (Ash), an anti-tobacco smoking group that was urging the
Government to sue the industry.

New Zealand's biggest tobacco company, British American Tobacco (New
Zealand), would fight any legal action, spokesman Tony Maguire said.

But the tobacco industry hoped the Government would focus on smoking
prevention rather than throw money at lawyers.

Mr Maguire said the industry was already working with Ministry of Health
officials to educate retailers that selling cigarettes to smokers under 18
was illegal and not supported by cigarette companies.

Ms Clark received a letter from Ash asking the Government to consider
suing tobacco firms, and said she would be happy to discuss the
possibility.

However, a lawsuit would take resources, staff and policy away from the
prevention focus that Labour had had on smoking for the past 10 years, Ms
Clark said.

"Obviously there would be tremendous satisfaction in holding the tobacco
industry legally accountable and extracting large sums of money from them.

"However, it's not a foregone conclusion that you would extract large
dollops of money in our legal system."

Ms Clark said the key question she would ask ASH was whether a lawsuit
would stop anyone smoking.

It was essential that efforts were still put into reducing the number of
New Zealanders who smoked, particularly Maori numbers, she said.

"Maori are really facing the most horrendous death figures from tobacco
and the only thing that will bring that death toll down is concerted
effort to prevent smoking or get people to quit."

A 1999 Ministry of Health report, Taking The Pulse, showed that
one-quarter of all New Zealanders were smokers, while 45 per cent of Maori
were smokers.

The report said that smoking had cost the health system at least $185
million in 1989 due to increased hospital, GP and prescription costs.

Another report, by economist Brian Easton, said the overall social cost of
smoking was $22.5 billion for 1990.

The figure took into account the loss of human capital when people took
days off work for smoking-related illnesses.

Ash director Trish Fraser said it was time that New Zealand took real
action against the tobacco industry.

Ash and its lawyer, Wellington medico-legal expert David Collins, would
meet Ms Clark, Health Minister Annette King and Justice Minister Phil Goff
to discuss possible legal action, Ms Fraser said.

The Queensland and South Australian state governments were already
investigating legal action against tobacco companies.

In the United States, four tobacco firms signed a $391.4 billion
settlement in 1998 after 46 states sued for the public health costs
incurred through smoking.--NZPA