Class-Action Status Sought in 'Light' Cigarette Case

A federal judge is slated to hear arguments this week about whether to certify a class-action lawsuit centering on marketing of 'light' cigarettes, the Associated Press reported Sept. 12.

Lawyers are asking U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein to allow millions of Americans to seek up to $200 billion in damages over industry claims that light cigarettes were less harmful than regular cigarettes; the plaintiffs say the industry knew that there were no significant health differences between the products.

"They paid for a cigarette that was supposed to pose less of a health risk," said attorney Michael D. Hausfeld. "They got one that was as risky, if not more risky."

In a recent ruling in a government racketeering case against the tobacco industry, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler concluded that the industry misled smokers by using terms like "light" and "mild" to describe cigarettes. Kessler wrote that the tobacco industry "distorted the truth about low tar and light cigarettes so as to discourage smokers from quitting ... They suppressed research. They destroyed documents. They manipulated the use of nicotine so as to increase and perpetuate addiction."

The tobacco companies argue that the class action should not be certified because each smoker has health claims and circumstances that are unique.

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