Philip Morris

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In Court, Philip Morris Uses Civil-Rights Smokescreen

Tobacco giant plays civil-rights card in battle with Oregon court over $79M judgment

(Newser) - Philip Morris has cast itself as a civil-rights victim being denied due process, Stephanie Mencimer writes for Mother Jones. The tobacco giant, ordered by an Oregon jury in 1999 to pay $79 million in punitive damages to a woman whose husband died of lung cancer, has been fighting the award...

House Votes to Let FDA Regulate Tobacco

Cigarettes would be controlled by FDA

(Newser) - The House passed landmark legislation yesterday to bring the tobacco industry under the regulatory control of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA wouldn't have the power to ban cigarettes under the bill, but it could order nicotine levels in cigarettes reduced and restrict other harmful ingredients, reports the New ...

Menthol Debate Splits Black Caucus
Menthol Debate Splits Black Caucus
Jul 25, 2008 2:28 AM CDT

Menthol Debate Splits Black Caucus

Tobacco row erupts over exemption from cigarette flavoring ban

(Newser) - The exemption of menthol from a bill banning flavored cigarettes is causing a rift in the Black Congressional Caucus, the New York Times reports. Some members of the caucus, which has strong financial ties to tobacco companies, argue that menthol cigarettes cause disproportionate harm to blacks and are pushing for...

Menthol Used to 'Hook' Young Smokers: Study

Menthol cigarettes go down easier with youngsters

(Newser) - Tobacco companies use menthol to make the taste of cigarettes more acceptable to young first-time smokers until they become addicted, a new study charges. Researchers found that 44% of child smokers used menthol cigarettes, reports Reuters. "Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lungs," said an expert from...

Altria's 'Safer' Smokes Latest in Line of Flops

Marlboro Ultra Smooth can't beat declining demand in 3-year test

(Newser) - Altria is dropping its Marlboro Ultra Smooth cigarettes, the Wall Street Journal reports—the latest in a growing list of failures to sell Americans on so-called "safer" tobacco products. The cigarettes, which used special filters to block carcinogens, failed to attract consumer interest in a 3-year test, "presumably...

Supreme Court to Hear $79M Cigarette Verdict for 3rd Time

Justices to decide if Oregon court ignored instruction to limit punitive damages

(Newser) - The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a third appeal of Oregon’s $79.5-million punitive-damage award against Philip Morris. The justices have twice sent the verdict back to Oregon’s high court, part of an effort to limit punitive damages to nine times the size of compensatory damages. This...

Menthol Gets Free Pass in Cigarette Bill

Other flavored smokes face ban, but industry protects cash cow

(Newser) - Congress is preparing to vote on legislation that would ban almost all flavored cigarettes—except menthol, the most prevalent flavoring of all. The bill would eliminate kinds like cloves and cinnamon that appeal to kids, but make an exception for menthol—which lures new smokers by masking the harshness of...

Tobacco Giant Plans Spinoff of Overseas Arm

Philip Morris unit, less vulnerable to lawsuits, can focus on growth

(Newser) - Altria, the world's largest tobacco company, wants to break its Philip Morris International unit off from its US counterpart, Bloomberg reports, to pursue greater overseas growth while insulating it from health-related US lawsuits. "Tobacco is growing overseas, while in the US it's in decline, making a reasonable argument for...

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