Jump to full article: Ft. Myers (FL) News-Press, 2008-02-12
Intro: We sympathize with John Maloney and millions of others who have lost loved ones to cancer caused by cigarettes.
But it's harder to sympathize with the idea that they should be awarded damages by juries in part because the smoker was unaware of the risks.
. . .
But U.S. surgeon generals' warnings about the dangers of smoking have been required on tobacco packaging for more than 40 years. Tobacco advertising has long been banned on TV and radio, and the dangers of smoking have been a continuous topic of public debate.
People who smoked through those years cannot credibly claim to have been unaware of the serious risk. They made a bad choice.
It's better for society to concentrate on helping people make better choices, through education and anti-tobacco advertising, such as that planned under the newly revived Florida youth smoking campaign.
So long as tobacco is legal, this is the way to go.
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