The more immediate concern, however, is treating smokers.

A better strategy is needed to prevent initial smoking behavior and to treat highly dependent smokers.

In addition to the tough laws, the province decided to sue the tobacco companies for the costs of treating smokers who become ill.

The settlements came after the two states filed lawsuits to recover the Medicaid costs of treating smokers who became ill.

We don't need to treat smokers, however young, as criminals.

The tobacco companies want an accounting of offsets, which means estimating what the states would have spent treating smokers, had they lived longer.

"It's time to stop treating smokers so politely.... They have no right to make our air impure."

Federal and state governments spend $50 billion treating dying and sick smokers.

Doctors who treat smokers said that the study findings were not unexpected, given the haphazard way many smokers used the products.

Forty states have also sued the industry to recoup the Medicaid costs of treating former smokers.