Court: Big Tobacco 'Lied' on Health Issues

      A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the tobacco industry engaged in a decades-long campaign of deception regarding the health hazards of smoking. But the three-judge panel rejected most of the remedial steps sought by the government in a massive civil suit and instead ordered tobacco companies merely to issue statements correcting previous denials that smoking was addictive and dangerous to health. (Hat Tip: SCOTUSBlog).
      In its unsigned, 92-page decision, the court on May 22 refused to order the industry to conduct nationwide campaigns to discourage youth smoking or to offset past marketing tactics. The court also reaffirmed an earlier ruling in the case that it would not order the industry to disgorge profits made from the deceptive advertising and public relations campaign.
      What do you think? Should tobacco companies be held responsible for concealing health hazards of smoking? Should they do more to discourage smoking by young people? For background, see Mary H. Cooper, “Tobacco Industry,” CQ Researcher, Dec. 10, 2004.
.