The record, so far, hasn’t been very good for the tobacco companies in the so-called Engle progeny smoker suits. They’ve won, by our count, just two of the ten cases to go to trial, and the damages awards have been climbing. The first Engle progeny trial resulted in an $8 million verdict against Philip Morris in February. In August, R.J. Reynolds lost a $30 million verdict. And on Thursday, a Broward County jury ordered Philip Morris ... Jump to full article >>

In 1999 the BBC reported that Tobacco companies had developed 57 ways to make cigarettes safer but had chosen not to use the technology. Electronic cigarettes appear to have done all of them with their first iteration and only continue to get better. Online PR News – 10-November-2009 – At the time it was believed that the tobacco companies did not want to market the improvements and make cigarettes safer as it would force them to acknowledge ... Jump to full article >>

When it became clear that the state budget was in crisis mode, three industries with much at stake in Harrisburg opened their wallets. Gambling interests, natural-gas drillers, and tobacco companies have since January spent more than $4.5 million combined on lobbying efforts, according to expense reports filed last week with the state. Those industries were among the few winners in a budget ravaged by the recession. Casinos are poised to introdu ... Jump to full article >>

Several provinces are planning to work together against tobacco companies to recover health-care costs related to smoking, says Quebec’s Health and Social Services Minister Yves Bolduc. Quebec confirmed yesterday it is joining British Columbia, New Brunswick and Ontario in filing a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against tobacco manufacturers, and it’s only a matter of time before the provinces join forces to seek compensation, Mr. Boldu ... Jump to full article >>

Where do its millions go? Less to ads and grants, more to aggressive investments, big salaries … and the CEO’s house. The American Legacy Foundation is a rare example of a public charity being born with a silver spoon. Even before it began operating in 1999, the foundation was bequeathed more than $1 billion from the settlement of a massive lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of 46 states against the country’s major tobacco companies ... Jump to full article >>

Fierce lobbying by Big Tobacco is threatening legislation aimed at cracking down on marketing to young people Does the shamelessness of tobacco companies – and politicians for that matter – know no bounds? After a summer of fierce lobbying by the tobacco giant Rothmans Benson & Hedges – namely, a threat to close a factory in Quebec City that employs 300 people – an important bit of health legislation is now at risk. The Cracking Down ... Jump to full article >>

The council has been accused of dealing with “traders in death” by investing in tobacco companies. The attack came from Cllr Maggie Mansell, Labour’s shadow cabinet member for health at Monday’s meeting of the council’s cabinet which backed a new anti-smoking strategy to reduce tobacco consumption across the borough. The council has around £20m of its pension fund for employees tied up in shares in Imperial Tobacco ... Jump to full article >>

A statewide anti-smoking campaign aimed at minorities and those in poverty that highlights the dangers of second-hand smoke has begun. Dubbed “Everybody Smokes When Anybody Smokes,” the campaign will use radio, bus and billboard advertisements to get the message across. And local anti-smoking advocates say they hope it will bolster their ongoing efforts to reach into minority communities to underscore the dangers of smoking. “T ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK — A Credit Suisse analyst downgraded Altria Group Inc. Monday, worried about possibly declining Marlboro prices and the company’s ability to balance profit and market share growth for the cigarette brand. In separate client notes, analyst Thilo Wrede boosted the price targets of peers Lorillard Inc. and Reynolds American ( RAI – news – people ) Inc. Wrede said Altria ( MO – news – people )’s ... Jump to full article >>

THE two largest tobacco companies in the United States voluntarily stopped advertising cigarettes in magazines, with Philip Morris, whose brands include Marlboro cigarettes, ceasing in 2005 and R. J. Reynolds, whose brands include Camel, at the beginning of 2008. Now the Camel logo is back prominently in major glossies, including Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and Maxim — but not to advertise cigarettes. R. J. Reynolds is advertising Camel ... Jump to full article >>