Money from a historic tobacco settlement is set to flow to provinces and territories starting Friday, but advocates say the money needs to go towards health programs aimed at smoking cessation and youth prevention.

The settlement was approved in March by Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz, with $32.5 billion in compensation to be distributed.

“There is a historic opportunity for provincial and territorial governments to invest in their provincial tobacco control strategies, allocate a significant portion of the funds to reduce smoking, reduce tobacco use,” said Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.

The settlement first came about in October 2024 after years of mediation between JTI-Macdonald Corp., Rothmans, Benson and Hedges, an

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