Good time to take up smoking?

[echo]

Taken from news.bbc.co.uk

Cigarette giant Philip Morris is to appeal against a Californian court order to pay out an unprecedented $28bn (£17bn) in punitive damages to a cancer-stricken smoker.

The award, the biggest ever in an individual smoking-related lawsuit, comes on top of an initial $850,000 payout intended to compensate the plaintiff - a 64-year-old woman suffering from lung cancer - for her illness.

The verdict wiped 6% off Philip Morris' share price, and dragged other tobacco stocks lower in sympathy.

The BBC's Patrick O'Connell says this suggests that investors are not yet as convinced as lawyers for Philip Morris that this award, and indeed the trial itself, can be overturned.

Lawyers for the plaintiff argued in court that the tobacco giant had deliberately concealed evidence about the links between smoking and cancer.

But Philip Morris' legal team said the company should not be blamed for her personal decision to keep on smoking.

"This jury should have focused on what the plaintiff knew about the health risks of smoking, and whether anything the company ever said or did improperly influenced her decision to smoke or not to quit," said Philip Morris lawyer William Ohlemeyer.

"Testimony during the trial showed that Ms Bullock was aware of the health risks of smoking and was warned repeatedly of those risks by her doctors over four decades, and her daughter also urged her to quit," he said.

The plaintiff, Betty Bullock, smoked from the age of 17 until she was diagnosed with cancer in February last year.

The disease has since spread to her liver. It is estimated that she has just months to live.

The punitive damages bill dwarfs an earlier $3bn award set at a separate tobacco trial in June last year.

That award was later reduced to $100m.

Philip Morris has said that the award to Ms Bullock breaches US Supreme Court guidelines which limit punitive damages to four times the size of the compensatory damages.

If she were to receive the money, Ms Bullock would become one of the richest people in America.

Is it just me or that incredibly stupid? People know the risks of smoking when they start, or when they choose not to stop, it's obviously not good for you.... Bloody Yanks.

(PS: I smoke, I know the risks of it, I shan't be suing)

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

The point is that they (theoretically) didn't know the risks when they started smoking. Ciggies were advertised as healthy. Hence no one under the age of 50 has a hope in hell of a successful legal challenge.

 

[echo]

Guinness used to be advertised as good too, didn't it? Ah, them were the days....

 

[Rubber Bullets]

My sister, who is now almost 50, started smoking whilst she was at school.

The worst effect they said it would have, at the time, was to stunt growth. My sister was the tallest in her class, and was quite happy to have her growth stunted. Fortunately she stopped when she got pregnant, but for a lot of people it is not as simple as 'choosing' to stop, as a smoker you must know that.

Now days everyone knows that smoking will kill you one way or another, yet kids still start.

Pubescant girls think it makes them look older and boys think it makes them look hard. The truth, that it makes them look stupid, and smell worse, sadly eludes them.

As a radiographer I see, on a weekly basis, people whos lives have been, or will be, destroyed by smoking. Not only lung cancer, but other lung diseases, other types of cancer, heart problems and circulatory problems. In the case of lung cancer the radioographer is often the first person, at all, to know about it. Quite often the patient presents with just a cough, entirely unaware that the have a disease that will kill them slowly and painfully. It is a strange feeling.

I do not smoke, and have never smoked; but am not judgemental of those that do. I know how easy it is to start and how difficult to stop. I am just happy in the knowledge that virtually none of my family do smoke, and pray to god that my daughter never starts.

s

 

[throdgrain]

Yeah RB i gave up smoking 10 years ago and Im glad I did tbh. i even gave up smoking herb 2 years ago !
Im not so glad about that tho

 

[dysfunction]

Which herb was that then? Parsley?

 

[old.Jas]

Originally posted by schadenfreude
As a radiographer I see, on a weekly basis, people whos lives have been, or will be, destroyed by smoking. Not only lung cancer, but other lung diseases, other types of cancer, heart problems and circulatory problems. In the case of lung cancer the radioographer is often the first person, at all, to know about it.

Whoa - thats pretty heavy, I bet its frustrating from your POV to see young kids start smoking.

Anyhow, the court case in the US. Where you can sue for just about anything, this is a good article on those lines - http://www2.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/lifestyle_trends/joplin07302002.htm

 

[GDW]

Originally posted by .snoopy
Guinness used to be advertised as good too, didn't it? Ah, them were the days....

Guiness is stil prescribed in hospitals in Ireland for some patients.....its still good for you .... in sensible doses of course.

 

[Skyler]

I have never smoked and dont intend to.

I am quite happy being healthy and not coughing/having yellow teeth/wasting loads of money on nothing beneficial.... etc

 

[Nylex]

Originally posted by Skyler
I have never smoked and dont intend to.

I am quite happy being healthy and not coughing/having yellow teeth/wasting loads of money on nothing beneficial.... etc

Wp .

 

[*Kornholio*]

Originally posted by Grandadwrinkle
Guiness is stil prescribed in hospitals in Ireland for some patients.....its still good for you .... in sensible doses of course.

Do they still give it to women after giving birth to increase their iron content in their bodies ?

 

[S-Gray]

I smoked about 3 cigs in School, but didnt like it and just stopped dont intend to do it again heh

 

[echo]

Quitting is easy, I've done it at least 6 times already!

 

[PR.]

Heh, I like the news on BBC1 that only 1 person has been paid compensation by a cigerette company, that was $300k in the 60's

All other cases just get appealed and appealed over and over.

One group of people who sued won $145bn never seen a cent of it

 

[Munkey-]

factor in how much they most probably spent on smoking/related issues. also read that the amount givven has been reduced to about 100 million dollars (still quite a bit though)


personally, i dont rate smoking. hate sitting next to people who smoke during lessons, makes you want to puke

but then thats their choice. they should have more than enough sense to have not gotten into it in the first place (already hearing smoking coughs)

 

[GDW]

Originally posted by *Kornholio*


Do they still give it to women after giving birth to increase their iron content in their bodies ?

Not that Im aware of............at least my wife disnt get any after our two nippers.

Not that many women tend to drink the stuff , what with it being a mans drink....and not tasting of some obscure chemical that tastes of fruit.

They tend to prescribe it to elderly patents , recouperating after an illness or operation.

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by .snoopy
Quitting is easy, I've done it at least 6 times already!

I've done it exactly once...and haven't started since. twas the very best thing I've ever done.

 

[dysfunction]

Well done TDC!

You done good!

 

[GDW]

Im off them 7 months now...........best thing I everdid...aside from buying my garden shed.

 

[granny]

Originally posted by .snoopy
Guinness used to be advertised as good too, didn't it? Ah, them were the days....

A friend of my brothers has just has a very nasty accident with some agricultural machinery and nearly had his arm ripped off and while he's recuperating in hospital he's being prescriped a pint of guinness every 2 days. So apprently it *is* good for you!

 

[old.D0LLySh33p]

People are incredibly stupid.

 

[Wij]

I'm not smoking much anymore since our lass moved in.

 

[xane]

all this talk of smoking, I fancy a ciggie break

 

[old.D0LLySh33p]

Hmmm. Can't be arsed to look for a repost - and as a member of the eternal 'couch' I guess I get to have the privilege anyways...

What's everyone's fav. ciggies?

Mine are Red Camel Filters from America and Cartier.

Though those clove ciggarettes you can get from Singapore are pretty nice too.

But seems all my fav fags are too strong Talking at least 20 tar, 1.5 nicotine...

Ack. I'm gonna die so early from cancer

 

[bodhi]

Marlboro Lights
Embassy Number 1's
Drum Rolling Tobacco
Zig Zag King Size skins
Purple Haze

 

[Cloak_]

Trying to quit atm so gone onto Samson

But Embassy No.1`s

 

[echo]

Marlboro Reds (tho i have 80 lights for £10 at the moment, so i'm on them... like air through a straw )
Camel Lights
Amber Leaf baccy & papers, cheap and cheerful

 

[old.D0LLySh33p]

Drum>Amber Leaf

 

[bodhi]

I just sparked up a Marlboro Light. It's rather nice so far.





I shall keep you posted.

 

[echo]

Everything > Amber Leaf

Amber leaf aer teh ch3ap!