Decades Later Court Orders Tobacco Companies to Make Corrective Statements in Rico Ruling
PDF Link Courtesy Courthouse News :
Note that some of the same people who crafted the anti-science flack that ultimately led to the court ordering these corrective statements are now in the business of propagating anti science myths about climate change.
II. Corrective Statements
Each party submitted proposed corrective statements. After
carefully evaluating the submissions, the Court concludes that the
following Corrective Statements will most effectively prevent and
restrain future violations of RICO. Appendix A directs the reader
to the citations in the Original Opinion supporting each of these
Statements.
A. Adverse Health Effects of Smoking
A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco companies
deliberately deceived the American public about the health effects
-9-of smoking, and has ordered those companies to make this statement.
Here is the truth:
5
• Smoking kills, on average, 1200 Americans. Every
day.
• More people die every year from smoking than from
murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and
alcohol, combined.
• Smoking causes heart disease, emphysema, acute
myeloid leukemia, and cancer of the mouth,
esophagus, larynx, lung, stomach, kidney, bladder,
and pancreas.
• Smoking also causes reduced fertility, low birth
weight in newborns, and cancer of the cervix and
uterus.
B. Addictiveness of Smoking and Nicotine
A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco companies
deliberately deceived the American public about the addictiveness
of smoking and nicotine, and has ordered those companies to make
this statement. Here is the truth:
• Smoking is highly addictive. Nicotine is the
addictive drug in tobacco.
Cigarette companies intentionally designed
cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and
sustain addiction.
• Cigarette companies intentionally designed
cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and
sustain addiction.
• It’s not easy to quit.
• When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the
brain - that’s why quitting is so hard.
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Each Statement begins with similar language declaring that a court has
ruled the Defendants deceived the public about a particular topic and has
ordered them to make corrective statements. These introductory sentences
will be referred to as the ‘preamble.’
-10-C. Lack of Significant Health Benefit from Smoking
‘Low Tar,’ ‘Light,’ ‘Ultra Light,’ ‘Mild,’ and
‘Natural’ Cigarettes
A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco companies
deliberately deceived the American public by falsely selling and
advertising low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than
regular cigarettes, and has ordered those companies to make this
statement. Here is the truth:
• Many smokers switch to low tar and light cigarettes
rather than quitting because they think low tar and
light cigarettes are less harmful. They are not.
• “Low tar” and filtered cigarette smokers inhale
essentially the same amount of tar and nicotine as
they would from regular cigarettes.
∙ All cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart
attacks, and premature death - lights, low tar,
ultra lights, and naturals. There is no safe
cigarette.
D. Manipulation of Cigarette Design and Composition to
Ensure Optimum Nicotine Delivery
A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco companies
deliberately deceived the American public about designing
cigarettes to enhance the delivery of nicotine, and has ordered
those companies to make this statement. Here is the truth:
∙ Defendant tobacco companies intentionally designed
cigarettes to make them more addictive.
∙ Cigarette companies control the impact and delivery
of nicotine in many ways, including designing
filters and selecting cigarette paper to maximize
the ingestion of nicotine, adding ammonia to make
the cigarette taste less harsh, and controlling the
physical and chemical make-up of the tobacco blend.
-11-∙ When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the
brain - that’s why quitting is so hard.
E. Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to Secondhand
Smoke
A Federal Court has ruled that the Defendant tobacco companies
deliberately deceived the American public about the health effects
of secondhand smoke, and has ordered those companies to make this
statement. Here is the truth:
∙ Secondhand smoke kills over 3,000 Americans each
year.
∙ Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and coronary
heart disease in adults who do not smoke.
∙ Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an
increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems,
severe asthma, and reduced lung function.
∙ There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand
smoke.