LCA Hails US Court of Appeals Decision to Affirm Lower Court Ruling Tobacco Companies Guilty of Massive Fraud and Deception 

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) hailed the US Court of Appeals' decision on Friday upholding the 2006 ruling that found tobacco companies guilty of fraud and lying about the dangers and addictiveness of smoking. . . .

"This is an extremely important victory," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, LCA President & CEO, "as it draws the brightest line on those who have committed decades of massive fraud and deception upon the American public. For the lung cancer community -- this is not just long overdue -- but life saving."

Fenton Ambrose continued, "But I must add that as important as this ruling is -- I am disappointed that it did not allow for additional remedies called for by LCA and other public health groups to help victims of the fraudulent practices of the tobacco companies." . . .

"Even though the Court ruling is disappointing on this front," continued Fenton Ambrose, we can take heart that the courts clearly recognize the highly addictive nature of nicotine, the deliberate collusion over the past fifty years by the tobacco companies to manipulate the amount of nicotine and their marketing strategies to addict more what they blandly referred to as 'replacement smokers' for those who died."

"If the courts recognize this, hopefully our public health policy makers will begin to understand that smoking is an addiction, that no one chooses to have lung cancer and that lung cancer, as the biggest single cancer killer, must be given priority in research funding," she said.

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