our tax dollars to good use...or not at all

who knew...uh, we all did:
"On September, 22, 1999, the United States brought [a] massive lawsuit against nine cigarette manufacturers of cigarettes and two tobacco-related trade organizations. The Government alleged that Defendants have violated, and contiue to violate, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"), 18 U.S.C. 1961-1968, by engaging in a lengthy, unlawful conspiracy to deceive the American public about the health effects of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke, the addictiveness of nicotine, the health benefits from low tar, "light" cigarettes, and their maniplation of the design and composition of cigarettes in order to sustain nicotine addiction. As Justic O'Connor noted in Food and Drug Administration, et al.v.Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, et al., 529 U.S. 120, 125 (2000), "[t]his case involves one of the most troubling public health problems facing our nation today: the thousands of premature deaths that occur each year because of tobacco use."

"In particular, the Government has argued that, for approximately fifty years, the Defendants have falsely and fraudulently denied: (1) that smoking causes lung cancer and emphysema (also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ("COPD")), as well as may other types of cancer; (2) that environmental tobacco smoke causes lung cancer and endangers the respiratory and auditory systems of children; (3) that nicotine is a highly addictive drug which they manipulated in order to sustain addiction; (4) that they marketed and promoted low tar/light cigarettes as less harmful when in fact they were not; (5) that they intentionally marketed to young people under the age of twenty-one and denied doing so; and (6) that they concealed evidence, destroyed documents, and abused the attorney-client privilege to prevent the public from knowing about the dangers of smoking and to protect the industry from adverse litigation results..." "

Punishment: (ruled by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler)
These companies must:
-no longer use deceptive brand descriptors which implicitly or explicitly convey to the smoker and potential smoker that they are less hazardous to health than full flavor cigarettes...
-use corrective statements in major newspapers, on the three leading tv networks, on cigarette "onserts," and in retail displays regarding the adverse health effects of smoking, the addictiveness of smoking and nicotine, the lack of any significant health benefit from smoking 'low tar' 'light' 'ultra light' 'mild' and 'natural' cigarettes, defendants' manipulation of cigarette design and composition to ensure optimum nicotine delivery and the adverse health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke.
-disclose their disaggregated marketing data to the Government in the same form and on same schedule which they now follow in disclosing this material to the Federal Trade Commitssion

These companies do NOT have to:
-pay [any] monetary penalties which would actually make a dent in their own financial situation, or contribute to the health and well-being of the general public (i.e. funding a large anti-smoking campaign) to make up for their lies

((NO MONETARY PENALTIES....did i miss something???))

What their lying has done:
-they have profitted from selling a highly addictive product
-they have caused diseases that lead to staggering numbers of deaths per year, an immeasurable amount of human suffering and economic loss, and a profound burden on the national health care system.

How it happened:
-despite the fact that Defendents have known of these facts for AT LEAST 50 YEARS OR MORE, they have consistently, repeatedly, and with enormous skill and sophistication, denied these facts
-they have also denied marketing and advertising their products to children under 18 to ensure an adequate supply of "replacement smokers"
-lawyers of the Defendents also have a 50+ year history of deceiving smokers, potential smokers, and the American public.

are we supposed to feel better about what U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler has ruled here? cause i know i don't...now we know for SURE that cigarette companies have been lying and that cigarettes are bad for your health...no shit sherlock--like we didn't already know that...

and all they have to do is publicly state..."yep we've been lying to you forever, but you already knew that, and you're still smoking, so keep buying cigarettes so that we keep making money. we certainly don't have to pay any in retribution for what we've done...PER-R-R-FECT, and Thanks so much.
oh by the way, come join us celebrate the verdict. can i get a light?"

this is sad. very sad.


all information posted taken from:
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/060817_tobacco_ruling.pdf
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14395333/wid/11915773?GT1=8404