Tabacco firms deny conspiracy

[Kitten]

Government claims public misled

Washington

A lawyer for the tobacco industry on Wednesday rejected the government's claim that cigaratte companies conspired for decades to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking and should forfeit $280 billion generated by the alleged fraud.

To win the case, the government must prove the scheme existed and is likely to continue. Industry attorney Ted Wells acknowledged that tobacco company executives made mistakes in the past in how they addressed health concerns but said "We do not concede in any way, shape or form that there ever was" an industrywide conspiracy.

And he said no one in the industry now disputes the dangers of smoking.
"Today the defendants have admitted smoking causes diseases," Wells said during his opening statement. "The defendants admit today that smoking is addictive."

Wells said $246 billion in settlements that the industry reached with states in the 1990s to cover health costs related to smoking make future fraud impossible because of restrictions placed on the industry.

[Bashment Girl]

Reading this made me think about something regarding smoking. They're claiming that the tobacco companies are scheming and misleading consumers right?

Well...

If this is what they believe then, you know what the US government should do?

They should force the US Tobacco companies to put disgusting pictures of cancerous tumors, and mouth disease on the cigarette packages along with label that read "Smoking can kill you", "Smoking can cause cancer" etc. They should also raise the price of cigarettes to $10 a pack, like they do here in Canada.

Then watch as people still smoke! No more conspiracies, no more misinformation, no more misleading, but WATCH as the public continues to smoke!

[Kitten]

I think the public are the ones who are scheming. Everybody knows that cigarretts can give you cancer. They have that on the pack it may be hazardous to your health. Thats not enough warning. And you continue to smoke. I would think that if you continue to do it. And know the hazards, then its no ones fault but your own. And to make someone pay you after you do that to yourself is crazy.

[Bashment Girl]

I think the public are the ones who are scheming. Everybody knows that cigarretts can give you cancer. They have that on the pack it may be hazardous to your health. Thats not enough warning. And you continue to smoke. I would think that if you continue to do it. And know the hazards, then its no ones fault but your own. And to make someone pay you after you do that to yourself is crazy.

My point exactly! :cool:

Warning labels don't help, nasty pictures don't help. People CAN quit, they choose not to, so who's fault is that? They tobacco companies??? Give me a break!

[Pondadat]

You see people really do have issues. :eusa_wall thats what they do. they have to sense.

[Greatis]

This has been going on for years and it's going nowhere. They should just stop it cho.