A lawsuit against tobacco companies that could be worth $200 billion
has been given class action status by a federal judge in Brooklyn.Judge Jack Weinstein’s ruling affects tens of millions of smokers of so-called "light" cigarettes.
The decision is based on a 2004 lawsuit against cigarette makers
including R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, which accuses them of using
deceptive marketing to make smokers think "light" cigarettes were safer
to smoke, despite the companies’ own internal documents showing they
knew the risks were the same.Defense attorneys say that suit relied on false data.
Anyone who bought cigarettes labeled light or lights after they
were put on the market in the early 70’s can be part of the
class-action suit.