Are Lawsuits Against Tobacco Companies Justified?
Are Lawsuits Against Tobacco Companies Justified?A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more could one want? (qtd. in Hilts, 102). Statistics show that there have been 1.1 billion smokers in the past 90 years, making it the most widespread addiction in the world. Those smokers make up 47% of the men and 12% of the women out of the whole world population (Tobacco to 21). The age a person starts smoking is getting lower every year and, in lots of countries, including America, kids are already smoking regularly at age 15. Also, more than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking, making it the most preventable cause of premature death. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is caused by smoking (Tobacco Stats). The reason these statistics are important is because there is an ongoing controversy over whether or not the tobacco companies should be held responsible for injuries or deaths due to smoking. They are being blamed for deaths among smokers in the last half century. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the companies claiming that the companies failed to warn the consumer of the dangers of smoking, but there has yet
Smokers actually yield savings in other places. Only durin!g the past century has tobacco smoke been inhaled on a regular and continuous basis by a large portion of our population (Whelan, 28). A 1949 Gallup poll found that even back then, over 50 years ago, most smokers regarded cigarettes as harmful. to be a victory among the plaintiffs. Another reason some claim that these lawsuits are not justified is because smokers choose to smoke. Kip Viscusi, in terms of money, society gains more than it loses from smoking, even without counting the taxes paid on cigarette sales (Chapman). The negotiations over this settlement stemmed mainly from a horde of lawsuits by state governments trying to recover the alleged costs of caring for indigent citizens injured by tobacco (Chapman). Smoking began long before tobacco was on the scene (Whelan, 28). Philip Morris announced that it would appeal the verdict, which they did successfully. Toward its end, the cigarette emerged as the new champion in tobacco (Whelan, 35). In 1994, Jocelyn Tompkin filed a lawsuit against several tobacco companies, including American Tobacco Co. So are these lawsuits justified or not? Before discussing the arguments made for and against litigation against tobacco companies, it might help to first look back on the history of smoking and cigarettes.
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