The Government of Alberta has passed a bill i. e. Bill 48, Crown's Right of Recovery Act, allowing it to sue tobacco firms along with other provinces, in a bid to recover billions of dollars in smoking-related health costs and for alleged product misrepresentation.

The bill also enables the government recoup health-care costs from convicted criminals injured during the commission of an offence e. g. drunk driving, even mauling by a Siberian tiger. Legal experts and opposition parties are questioning this controversial provision.

The new legislation will permit the government to recover costs resulting from 'wrongful acts or omissions' by tobacco manufacturers, helping the province grab roughly $500-million in annual health costs associated with tobacco use. However, neither Premier Ed Stelmach, nor Health Minister Ron Liepert say when they will use the law to recoup health-related costs from Big Tobacco.

Passed Wednesday, the bill now awaits royal assent and proclamation by government, with almost every Canadian province having now introduced or passed the legislation for recovering health costs.

British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick are some of the provinces to have actually initiated lawsuits, with Ontario alone seeking $50-billion in damages, while Quebec is looking to recover $30-billion. Liepert does not indicate whether Alberta will go alone or be part of a larger national lawsuit. While, Liberals and NDP both support the idea of suing tobacco companies, they are strongly opposed to the idea of recovering health fee costs from criminals.