Philip Morris challenges 'light' cigarette ruling
Philip Morris USA has challenged a $10bn (€7.8bn/£5.4bn) consumer fraud ruling, telling the Illinois Supreme Court that its ”light” cigarettes performed as advertised and that the company is not to blame if people ended up taking deeper puffs or smoking more cigarettes.
James Thompson, a former Illinois governor representing Philip Morris, told the justices that the light cigarettes delivered less tar and nicotine than regular cigarettes.
The smoker “got what he was promised. He got a cigarette that, if he smoked in the same way, delivered what Philip Morris promised,” Thompson said.
He also urged the justices to reverse the record-setting judgment because, he said, the case should never have been declared a class action.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Stephen Swedlow countered that Philip Morris knew from the beginning that the cigarettes were no healthier.
