Monitoring bad behaviour

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has published an article in the May issue of its Monitor magazine that is said to focus on the ‘ruthless’ and ‘reprehensible’ behavior of some of the tobacco executives responsible for the development and perpetuation of the tobacco epidemic.

“Much has been said about the misconduct of cigarette companies,” said Garfield Mahood, president of the Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud (CJTF) and co-author of the article. “But little if anything has been published that throws a spotlight on the behaviour of the individual executives behind the alleged fraud that has caused or contributed to over a million deaths in Canada.”

Meanwhile, Brian Iler, co-founder of a Toronto law firm and co-author of the article, said that justice required that individuals be held accountable for civil or arguably criminal misbehaviour. “Tobacco industry documents unearthed in Canadian and American litigation reveal the unconscionable behaviour of these men,” he said. “We think that it is important that we bring this misconduct to the attention of Canadians.”

The article, “I foresee serious criminal liability problems”, at https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/”i-foresee-serious-criminal-liability-problems”, is said to reveal that the provinces are suing the tobacco industry, that the claims to date exceed $120 billion, and that the alleged wrongful behaviour, if proven in court, would be the largest and most destructive fraud in the history of Canadian business or public health. ‘Yet a national poll found that less than one percent of Canadians are aware that these governments are suing tobacco manufacturers for fraud,’ a CJTF press note said. ‘The Monitor article attempts to fill this knowledge void.’

The Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud is a health organization incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Incorporations Act to reduce tobacco-caused morbidity and mortality.