Florida jury awards $23 billion punitive damages against RJ Reynolds

[Silver Surfer]

All you had to do was ask for help. There are plenty of people on this board that would have helped you quit this board.

Yes.... yes there are....... Even if you don't know how...



http://i636.***BLOCKED***/albums/uu87/jdjohnston1960/Brokeback-Mountain-1024x489.jpg

 

[Longboysfan]

Yes.... yes there are....... Even if you don't know how...



http://i636.***BLOCKED***/albums/uu87/jdjohnston1960/Brokeback-Mountain-1024x489.jpg

That's not right. Just switching one addiction for another.

 

[Rogah]

This is a totally fair and very understandable position. What is getting lost in this discussion is the history behind how tobacco companies have came to this "new" position of personal responsibility. They lied to congress and other investigative instances (successfully for decades) regarding the proof behind nicotine being an addictive substance. Once proof was revealed that they had internal studies/knowledge proving their awareness, they were legally able to change the burden back to the user and avoid paying any legal restitution in the process. They were able to skate on paying any restitution for this fraud/obstruction of justice that accumulates HEAVILY to the inflated GDP as a result of the medical costs accrued from t heir product. They have a hand in the national debt relating to medical costs that have ballooned the GDP to unsustainable levels with the assistance of medicare/insurance. The issue is more than simple personal responsibility.

Look, if you want to talk about things that happened 50 years ago you have a point. But here in the 21st Century the industry has most certainly not "skated" on paying fines, restitution, judgments, etc.

It's been 50 years since they started putting those warning labels on every pack of cigarettes sold in this country. There is no plausible deniability on the part of smokers to claim they didn't know smoking was unhealthy.

 

[BigStar]

Look, if you want to talk about things that happened 50 years ago you have a point. But here in the 21st Century the industry has most certainly not "skated" on paying fines, restitution, judgments, etc.

It's been 50 years since they started putting those warning labels on every pack of cigarettes sold in this country. There is no plausible deniability on the part of smokers to claim they didn't know smoking was unhealthy.

50 years ago? Historical context doesn't apply to the current issue?

The tobacco industry has historically been largely successful in this litigation process, with the majority of cases being won by the industry. During the first 42 years of tobacco litigation (between 1954 and 1996) the industry maintained a clean record in litigation[3] thanks to tactics described in a R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company internal memo as "the way we won these cases, to paraphrase Gen. Patton, is not by spending all of Reynolds' money, but by making the other son of a ***** spend all of his."[4] Between 1995 and 2005 only 59% of cases were won by the tobacco industry.

 

[Rogah]

50 years ago? Historical context doesn't apply to the current issue?

Not really, no. Smoking is unhealthy, and we've known that for well over a half a century. Someone blaming and suing someone else for their unhealthy behavior is stupid.

 

[BigStar]

Not really, no. Smoking is unhealthy, and we've known that for well over a half a century. Someone blaming and suing someone else for their unhealthy behavior is stupid.

I agreed with you on that aspect, I was talking specifically to their previous manipulation of congress/litigation compared to some posters comparing Tobacco Co.s to fast food companies, etc.