The office of Brazil’s attorney general is suing British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) to recover the costs of treating tobacco-related diseases over the past five years, reports Reuters.
The suit seeks to recover the cost of treating patients for 26 illnesses related to smoking tobacco or coming into contact with cigarette smoke, the Brazilian solicitor general’s office said in a statement. These are costs that the Brazilian government is legally bound to pay as healthcare is a constitutional right in Brazil.
Tobacco remains the Brazil’s leading cause of preventable death, killing more than 156,000 people each year and costing the healthcare system about BRL57 billion ($14.1 billion), according to local estimates.
“Since the profit from this business is sent abroad, it is fair that these multinational companies pay for this responsibility they have left to Brazilian society,” prosecutor Davi Bressler said in a statement.
The lawsuit was heralded as historic by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
“The suit is the first of its kind for Brazil and a significant step toward holding the two major tobacco companies who do business in Brazil and their parent companies responsible for the enormous financial and health burdens caused by tobacco use,” a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said.
PMI Brasil said it had not been informed of the case and would hold off from commenting on the lawsuit. BAT’s Souza Cruz said it had not been given access to the court documents.
Brazil is one of the world’s largest exporters of leaf tobacco.