World Lung Foundation Supports US Supreme Court Decision Regarding Tobacco Marketing Practices
Monday, December 15, 2008
Contact: Jorge Alday, Public Relations Manager
(New York) – World Lung Foundation released today the following statement from Peter Baldini, Executive Director, regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow lawsuits of tobacco companies' marketing of ‘light' and ‘low-tar' cigarettes:
"Today's decision by the US Supreme Court clears the way for victims of so-called ‘light' and ‘low-tar' tobacco advertising to have their day in court. This is a victory for millions of people who have been duped over the years by deceptive advertising schemes that caused them to believe there is such a thing as a cigarette that is better for you.
The truth is Big Tobacco has a long history of deceptive marketing and such practices continue unabated in less-developed countries. Tobacco companies across the globe systematically persuade people to believe that ‘light' cigarettes are less harmful, when, in fact, research shows that these cigarettes cause smokers to inhale more deeply and smoke more cigarettes. The ruling by the Justices of the Supreme Court is a crucial step forward if we are to stop the underhanded tactics that tobacco companies use to addict millions of new smokers every year."
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About World Lung
Foundation
World Lung Foundation was established in
response to the global
epidemic of lung disease, which kills 10
million people each year. The
organization improves global lung health by
improving local capacity to
conduct research, develop public policy and
deliver public health
education. The organization's areas of emphasis
are tobacco control,
tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and child lung
health. For more
information, please visit
worldlungfoundation.org.
For more information, please contact Jorge Alday, World Lung Foundation at +1 (212) 639 0070 or jalday@worldlungfoundation.org or Erin Farrell/Colleen Roche, Linden Alschuler & Kaplan Public Relations, at +1 (212) 575 4545 or efarrell@lakpr.com.