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Tobacco's defense begins: Habit's harm common knowledge 

Dr. Robert Norrell is an expert in the measurement of "common knowledge" - the reservoir of factual information that is widely circulated through a society. Tidbits such as George Washington's being the first president, for example. Or Genesis's place at the beginning of the Old Testament.

Smoking's harmful effects, the defense witness testified, have been part of that common-knowledge canon for centuries, at least since England's King James penned a tract called ``A Counter Blaste to tobacco'' in 1604. . . He's the first in the line of defense witnesses that will take about four more weeks to present, attorneys estimate.

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