The province of Ontario has filed a $50-billion lawsuit against a group of major tobacco companies, seeking to recoup the cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses among its residents, the London Free Press reported Sept. 30.

Provincial officials say that tobacco-related health costs total more than $1.6 billion annually, and that smoking kills 13,000 Ontario residents each year. Attorney General Chris Bentley recently said that taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for health problems caused by others.

Canada's biggest cigarette manufacturer, Imperial Tobacco Co., was among those named in the lawsuit. Ontario is the only Canadian province with a significant tobacco industry.