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"Light" Smokers Granted Class Action Status

September 25, 2006

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Tens of millions of "light" cigarette smokers will get their day in court. A U.S. District Court judge in New York has agreed to grant class action status to the group of plaintiffs, whose suit may seek billions of dollars in damage from tobacco companies.

The suit was originally filed two years ago, naming Lorillard Tobacco Company, Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds as the principal defendants. The suit claims the tobacco giants orchestrated a campaign of deception to counter consumers growing concerns about the health effects of smoking.

Specifically, the suit seeks to represent anyone who smoked low tar and nicotine brands labeled as "light." These so-called "lights" were first introduced in the early 1970s, meaning there could be tens of millions of potential plaintiffs in the class.

In making the case for class action status, attorneys for the plaintiffs accused the tobacco companies of adopting a "cynical" marketing strategy, convincing concerned smokers they faced less of a health risk if they switched to a "light" brand. The attorneys cited internal tobacco company documents showing executives were aware that health risks from "light" brands were about the same as regular brands.

The attorneys said their case would show that the vast majority of smokers who purchased "light" brands did so almost exclusively for health reason, and were not influenced by taste, flavor or other factors.

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