Why you SHOULD smoke...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/817143.asp

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Jury awards $28 billion to smoker

Philip Morris ordered to pay damages to woman with cancer

BREAKING NEWS


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4 — A Los Angeles jury Friday ordered tobacco giant Philip Morris Cos. to pay $28 billion in punitive damages to a 64-year-old woman with lung cancer who blamed her tobacco addiction on the company’s failure to warn her of the risks of smoking.

THE JURY DELIBERATED FOR about a day and a half in the punitive damages phase of the trial before awarding what is believed to be the largest punitive damages award in a tobacco liability lawsuit.
The same panel found Philip Morris liable last week for the fraud, negligence and products liability claims in the lawsuit brought by Betty Bullock of Newport Beach, California, and awarded Bullock $850,000 in compensatory damages.
Philip Morris was not immediately available for comment.
Shares of U.S. tobacco companies dipped across the board after news of the jury award.

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Puff away, people. :cool:

That c*nt shoul loan me some of that dough to pay for my smokes since it's *****s like her, & the lobbyist she creats that drive the costs up.

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failure to warn her of the risks of smoking

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Isn't this enough warning?

my assumption is maybe they didn't have them back in her day.

Oh yeah (scratches his head} didn't think of that!

Tabacco never hurt anyone.

It's when she smoked it that there was a problem. Cigarette companies aren't liable if a user smokes their product.

Our legal system is ****ed up.

They'll appeal it.

What the **** were the jurors thinking? And it took them 1.5 days to reach the most ****ed up decision ever?

Lets give her lots of money, then when the ***** dies of cancer we can inherit it.

I bet that's it.

:eek:

this is a happy thread :) First time I got censored in my existance here at VBF.

I wonder if I could sue crayola for smoking their markers...

Z.

Warning:

The Surgeon General Fails to warn you that non-smokers die every day

Anybody ever saw a warning on a gun or something ? i think i should shoot myself in the arm then sue gun companies for 29 biilion because they didn't told me that was bad.

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Originally posted by msimmons
my assumption is maybe they didn't have them back in her day.

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shouldnt be like this... I think there was no law or anything that required the tobacco company to warn people back then (I guess there is something like this today)... so she cant sue them just because they didnt have the warning before there was a law requiring them to have one

how wrong am I?:D

Meh... they'll probably find in the trunk of her car before she can cash the check.

I smoked the whole of Iceland :)

She's rich but she's going to die soon...

...it was all a ploy by her son to get the inheritance. :p

ok ok, so maybe back in the day there were no warnings and it wasn't common sense that tobacco damaged health. still though, suing and winning 28 billion in damages for that...thats sick.

i'll bet you that these computers are giving us leukemia, and when we're in our 60s we can sue AMD, Intel, MS, and everyone else out of 28 billion + inflation of damages cause they didn't warn us that it would give us leukemia.

or we could try to be more reasonable and cast people like her off into the depths of society.

-C

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Originally posted by MrPolite
shouldnt be like this... I think there was no law or anything that required the tobacco company to warn people back then (I guess there is something like this today)... so she cant sue them just because they didnt have the warning before there was a law requiring them to have one

how wrong am I?:D

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its not a criminal case....

in fact you can sue people over just about anything.

-C

I don't think they should be jurys in civil cases or at least the amount should be determined by the judge. We eliminated that up here in Canada especially because of those ridiculous amounts that were awarded.

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Originally posted by maxl
I don't think they should be jurys in civil cases or at least the amount should be determined by the judge. We eliminated that up here in Canada especially because of those ridiculous amounts that were awarded.

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Yeah. Canada's got some good things going for them. It's not a nice place. Wouldn't like to visit nor would I like to live there.

Just bring the good parts down here. :p

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Originally posted by AirScape17
Isn't this enough warning?

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Smoking causes blindness but I reckon people who smoke in the first place not to see the warnings on the packets.

I never really understand smoking. I always mocked people for it. Never really saw the point.

Costs a lot of money
Makes you stink
Turns your teeth and nails yellow
Can cause handfulls of diseases
Wastes your time that you would have wasted elsewhere.

Can anyone give me a valid reason why?

Stress relief, is probably one of the big ones. Kids wanting to rebel is probably the other biggie.

Z.

Increases concentration.

People often go with the general sentiment on things like these, most of what you hear is hogwash. Cases of cancer are linked with smoking, but it's not proof. Only 1 in 3 of us will get lung cancer. (By "us" I also include non smokers).

Smokers are a persecuted lot, since this habit has been banned from workplaces, restaurants, buses, subways and planes. You don't think they'd outlaw breathing for jeep's sake.

Smokers have the only real community that's left in the workplace today.

Smokers suffer from less stress, since they actually take a few breaks per day.

That bruhaha about second hand smoking is a lod of crap. it's just a phrase made up to get normal people who earlier didn't care about it, to go and further persecute the smokers.

It's cool to smoke. Ever seen a hacker or a real artist with a health shake?

Smokers support the economy by paying all those taxes, which *AHEM* some of us don't.

down with smokers!!

eeeh, erm! I mean tobacco companies! :D

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Originally posted by Zaei
I wonder if I could sue crayola for smoking their markers...

Z.

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No, but if you got cancer from using thier markers and they knew it could cause cancer but never told you..then you could.

Hence the reason the women got 28 BILLION.

Does this mean people could sue the petrol companies if they go brain damage from sniffing petrol? :rolleyes:

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Originally posted by The Hobo
I never really understand sex. I always mocked people for it. Never really saw the point.

Costs a lot of money
Makes you stink
Turns your sheets yellow
Can cause handfulls of diseases
Wastes your time that you would have wasted elsewhere.

Can anyone give me a valid reason why?

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Must be big business or government mind control. :D

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Originally posted by Arc
No, but if you got cancer from using thier markers and they knew it could cause cancer but never told you..then you could.

Hence the reason the women got 28 BILLION.

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A human life isnt worth 28 billion, especially if it was essentially extended suicide. Wonder what kind of rock she was living under for the last 20 years...

Z.

the decision is obviously going to be appealed... and i doubt it would be anywhere in the Billion mark after that

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Originally posted by OrdinaryGuy
the decision is obviously going to be appealed... and i doubt it would be anywhere in the Billion mark after that

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Still too much. Id put a cap at the price of a new lung, hospital bills for said lung, and possibly compensation for every pack of cigs she ever bought. It is up to HER to kick the habit.

Z.

the jury was probably drunk while giving this decision so that he can sue liquor company for not telling him the effect of booze on his decission.

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Originally posted by mendhak
Increases concentration.

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Get enough sleep, eat a well balanced breakfast, etc. How can it increase oncentration when it distracts from things?

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Originally posted by mendhak
People often go with the general sentiment on things like these, most of what you hear is hogwash.

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What's hogwash? The stinking, bad teeth, yellow nails? I don't hear these things. I see these things. My whole family (except for my siblings and parents) smoke. I've had a few girlfriends who smoke. I have friends who smoke. I don't hear this stuff, I know it.

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Originally posted by mendhak
Cases of cancer are linked with smoking, but it's not proof. Only 1 in 3 of us will get lung cancer. (By "us" I also include non smokers).

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Why take the chance?

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Originally posted by mendhak
Smokers are a persecuted lot, since this habit has been banned from workplaces, restaurants, buses, subways and planes. You don't think they'd outlaw breathing for jeep's sake.

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As it should be. I don't want to smell it, I don't want to breathe it in. Hell, if I had my away (and if Howard Stern had his) I wouldn't see it either.

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Originally posted by mendhak
Smokers suffer from less stress, since they actually take a few breaks per day.

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And that makes it okay? There are other stress relievers out there. Some that don't cause you nasty complications. Look at your lungs lately?

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Originally posted by mendhak
That bruhaha about second hand smoking is a lod of crap. it's just a phrase made up to get normal people who earlier didn't care about it, to go and further persecute the smokers.

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Fine. But I still don't want to smell it and have to thrown into my breathing air.

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Originally posted by mendhak
It's cool to smoke. Ever seen a hacker or a real artist with a health shake?

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And that makes it cool? Because other's do it? I'm glad I never decided to be cool...

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Originally posted by mendhak
Smokers support the economy by paying all those taxes, which *AHEM* some of us don't.

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That's the only argument of yours I see valid. But my point is still: why do it if it costs so much? Like all those white trash people who buy cigs instead of baby food a few weeks. That's just sad.

If you want to smoke, that's great. If you breathe it in my face, I'm still going to sock you.

I know arguing with a smoker is like arguing with a brick wall. I think they should do a study to see if it kills brain cells too. So have fun. It's just not for me.

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Originally posted by The Hobo
Get enough sleep, eat a well balanced breakfast, etc. How can it increase oncentration when it distracts from things?



What's hogwash? The stinking, bad teeth, yellow nails? I don't hear these things. I see these things. My whole family (except for my siblings and parents) smoke. I've had a few girlfriends who smoke. I have friends who smoke. I don't hear this stuff, I know it.



Why take the chance?



As it should be. I don't want to smell it, I don't want to breathe it in. Hell, if I had my away (and if Howard Stern had his) I wouldn't see it either.



And that makes it okay? There are other stress relievers out there. Some that don't cause you nasty complications. Look at your lungs lately?



Fine. But I still don't want to smell it and have to thrown into my breathing air.



And that makes it cool? Because other's do it? I'm glad I never decided to be cool...



That's the only argument of yours I see valid. But my point is still: why do it if it costs so much? Like all those white trash people who buy cigs instead of baby food a few weeks. That's just sad.

If you want to smoke, that's great. If you breathe it in my face, I'm still going to sock you.

I know arguing with a smoker is like arguing with a brick wall. I think they should do a study to see if it kills brain cells too. So have fun. It's just not for me.

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Hmm... I take it you don't like smoking? :D

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Originally posted by mendhak
Hmm... I take it you don't like smoking? :D

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Good observation. I just don't see the point. But if it makes you happy...

blah blah *blurb cough cough* blah *spit up a lung...splat* :p

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Originally posted by Zaei
Still too much. Id put a cap at the price of a new lung, hospital bills for said lung, and possibly compensation for every pack of cigs she ever bought. It is up to HER to kick the habit.

Z.

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What?!? Id put a cap at the price of a whopping zero. No, I take that back she deserves a great big F*** YOU and a swift kick in the a**.

just my opinion.

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Originally posted by AirScape17
Isn't this enough warning?

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Here over the in The Netherlands they make it even clearer:

http://www.vbforums.com/images/ieimages/2002/10/4.jpg
They means (from left to right):
Smoking causes congestions in the veins, heartattacks and strokes.
Smoking is very addictive; do not start with it.
Smoking causes fatal lungcancer.
Your doctor of pharmacist can help you stop smoking.

Also available:
Smokers die younger.
Smokers can die very slow and painfully.
Don't let your kids breath your smoke if you know what's good for them.
Smoking will hurt you and people around you seriously.
Smoking is fatal.
Smoking can hurt your sperm.
Smoking can cause impotention.
Smoking makes your skin older.
Smoking while pregnant will hurt your baby.

speaking as an employee of the tobacco industry I can say that the reason this is allowed in America is that the warnings weren't there xx years ago.. the American tobacco companies didn't put messages on packets as soon as they knew there were health risks.

In the UK (and I suspect many other countries too) the warnings were made public quickly (although not necesarilly obvious in the beginning). Also the American legal system seems to like awarding ridiculous amounts of money in court cases :rolleyes:

An update on the money going to the government - in the UK the government gets something like 80-85% of the money from each pack of cigarettes :eek: which (a couple of years ago anyway - not sure now) is more than the entire health service costs (we don't have medial insurance here - the government pays the lot)

legal mode on
ps: I am not commenting on behalf of the company I work for, or any other part of the tobacco industry - it is purely my opinion
legal mode off

Oh, and another reason you should smoke... It allows me to keep my job, and so spend more time on here trying to help people out than I would otherwise ;)

breathing in the smoke of ANYTHING burning is not good for you.. end of story... common sence... do not pass go... do not collect 28 billion dollars...

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Originally posted by arsmakman
Here over the in The Netherlands they make it even clearer:

http://www.vbforums.com/images/ieimages/2002/10/4.jpg
They means (from left to right):
Smoking causes congestions in the veins, heartattacks and strokes.
Smoking is very addictive; do not start with it.
Smoking causes fatal lungcancer.
Your doctor of pharmacist can help you stop smoking.

Also available:
Smokers die younger.
Smokers can die very slow and painfully.
Don't let your kids breath your smoke if you know what's good for them.
Smoking will hurt you and people around you seriously.
Smoking is fatal.
Smoking can hurt your sperm.
Smoking can cause impotention.
Smoking makes your skin older.
Smoking while pregnant will hurt your baby.

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You should see the packs here in Canada, they put pictures of organs messed up by cigarettes(lungs heart, etc.) it's not pretty!!.