MONTREAL — Anti-smoking advocates urged the provinces and territories to use money from a historic tobacco settlement on public health programs as the provinces are set to receive initial amounts starting Friday.

In March, an Ontario judge sanctioned a $32.5-billion plan requiring three major tobacco companies to pay out billions of dollars in compensation to provinces, territories and former smokers.

The settlement was first proposed in October 2024 after years of mediation between the companies — JTI-Macdonald Corp., Rothmans, Benson & Hedges and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. — and their creditors.

That group includes plaintiffs in two Quebec class-action lawsuits as well as provincial and territorial governments long seeking to recoup smoking-related health-care costs.

As the compens

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