In what could turn out to be a shield from massive lawsuits over the marketing techniques used for ‘light’ cigarettes, the US Supreme Court has accepted to hear arguments from cigarette maker Altria Philip Morris, USA.
Altria Philip Morris, USA, is the biggest cigarette manufacturer in the United States. A lower court had decided that the company should face claims made by a smoker from Maine that it depicted ‘light’ cigarettes as safer than non-light cigarettes. Philip Morris says that according to federal law the suit cannot occur. Justices from the Supreme Court say they will review the lower court decision.
There are dozens of similar lawsuits throughout the USA, and probably hundreds more if these dozens were successful for the accusers. The review decision may decide the fate of these other lawsuits. In other words, a decision that goes Philip Morris’ way could serve as a shield against further suits. Experts say that if the lawsuit floodgates opened they could bring much of the tobacco industry to its knees. Experts are also saying that the high court’s decision to hear Philip Morris’ case bodes very well for the cigarette maker i.e. indicates it will probably rule in the industry’s favor.
The current lawsuit alleges that Philip Morris’ marketed Marlboro Lights and Cambridge Lights up to November 2002 caused smokers to waste their money buying these brands. The accusers say Philip Morris deliberately misled smokers by describing the cigarettes as light and having less nicotine and tar in them, compared to normal Marlboro cigarettes. The company allegedly did this for over three decades.
About Light Cigarettes
These have been presented by their makers as low-tar, light, ultra-light, or mild. Even today many consumers buy them believing they are less harmful than other cigarettes which are branded as full-flavor or regular.
However, studies have shown that these supposedly lighter brands do not reduce the health risks associated with smoking tobacco.
Why the misguided belief?
Light cigarettes have little perforations (holes) around the filter. Smoking machines – machines which mimic smoking and tell us what nicotine/tar intake for a human would be – tell us that these perforations add air to the inhalation, diluting the smoke and helping the smoker consume less tar/nicotine. However, these smoking machines to not smoke in the same way humans do.
Smokers, many of whom do not know about these perforations, cover the holes with their lips and fingers when they inhale. The vents (perforations) are placed just millimeters from where the fingers/lips are when a smoker smokes. In effect, a light cigarette, because of the lips/fingers covering the holes, are the same as the regular cigarettes.
Also a machine does not crave nicotine, while a regular smoker does. Smokers who do not block the vents with their lips/fingers will usually inhale more deeply and take more frequent puffs in order to get their nicotine dose – they compensate.
Most government agencies around the world, such as the US Federal Government’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) conclude that light cigarettes provide the smoker with no health benefits at all, compared to regular cigarettes.
The tobacco industry has had documents in its possession which shows that smokers of light cigarettes do compensate – take bigger puffs and inhale more deeply. However, they did not tell the public about this. Smokers in lawsuits accuse the tobacco industry of deceiving them, giving smokers the impression that light cigarettes are safer.
Government agencies, as well as cancer organizations around the world stress that a safe cigarette is a myth, it does not exist. The only way to protect yourself from the health risks linked to tobacco smoking is not to light up, to stop smoking, to give up, to quit.
If you smoke, you have a higher risk of developing
— Atherosclerosis
— Coronary thrombosis
— Angina
— Heart attack
— Kidney failure
— Hypertension (high blood pressure)
— Lung cancer
— Prostate cancer
— Cancer of the larynx
— Bladder cancer
— Cancer of the esophagus
— Cancer of the pancreas
— Cancer of the liver
— Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including emphysema, chronic bronchitis)
— Infertility
— Peptic ulcers
— Bone fractures, such as hip, wrist, or spine
— Asthma (attacks are worse and the effects of medications are undermined)
— Blindness (AMD, cataracts)
— Gum disease
— Teeth falling out early
— Premature wrinkling of the skin
— Male impotence (erectile dysfunction)
— Stroke
— Several pregnancy problems (spontaneous abortion/miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, abruptio placentae, placenta previa, premature rupture of the membranes, premature birth)
— Risks to the fetus (smaller infant (for gestational age), stillborn infant, birth defects, more nicotine receptors in newborn’s brain, raised risk of baby becoming a smoker one day)
— One in two long-term smokers will die prematurely as a result of smoking
Smoking Statistics – Illness and Health (ASH) PDF
Nicotine is highly addictive. Giving up smoking can be extremely difficult. If you smoke do not despair, millions of people succeed. Studies show that if you have support, your chances of giving up successfully and permanently are significantly greater.
Learn How to Quit Smoking (US Government)
Personal Observation by the Editor of Medical News Today, Christian Nordqvist
I have not smoked a cigarette since midnight, 31st December, 2007. Nineteen days so far cigarette-free!! I run on a treadmill (running machine) four times a week for 30 minutes, I am 6ft 2inches tall, and weigh 88 kilos. On the 31st December I recorded my pulse, as a smoker, fifteen-minutes into a 30-minute session on the treadmill. I was running at 5.2 miles per hour. My pulse was 147 beats per minute. Today, as a non-smoker for 19 days, the same test at the same speed on the same treadmill gave me a pulse of 129. I have been running for over two years, so the improved pulse could not have been due to a recent fitness drive – the rapid improvement in my pulse is due to my not smoking. This will be my motivator, to check my pulse every week. I have tried to quit many times – I hope I will never smoke again.
Written by – Christian Nordqvist