Diet Blog

Most everyone knows about the famous legal battle between smokers and the tobacco industry. The plaintiffs were awarded billions. Now, most sensible people see this, at least in part, as passing the buck, a few billion to be exact. But we don't need to get into the debate of responsibility here.

But, if you thought smokers were scapegoating then, take a look at a new lawsuit that claims the plaintiffs felt duped because "light" cigarettes weren't safer. Imagine that, there's no safe way to inhale smoke.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 7:10:00 AM  

I think these lawsuits are ridiculous. Smoking can kill you, but people keep lighting up anyway. A burning building also kills people, but nobody runs into a burning building!!?? People that smoke are stupid. People that smoke around their kids are even more stupid. How many times on a rainy day do you see people smoking in their cars with kids in the backseat and the window only cracked a little so they don't get wet? Where do those smokers think their smoke AND their second-hand smoke is going? Right into their babies lungs. It should be illegal to smoke in your car if you have kids in the car.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:44:00 AM  

Instead of awarding billions to the plaintiffs, the tobacco companies should put the money into developing more/better smoking cessation programs. Quitting is a formidable task whether you smoke light cigarettes or regulars!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 8:58:00 AM  

Are you saying that suing McDonalds for making you fat is any different then suing a tobacco company for giving you cancer? Come on! These people belong in the same category. When you make coffee at home, is it hot? And why would you exspect coffee at a resturant to not be hot? No one held a gun to your head and made you eat at McDonalds. You went of your own free will. And smokers suing for getting cancer cause they were lead to believe light was safer? There is a warning clearly marked on the box, of the effects of smoking. I mean, hello. It says you can get cancer. All of these types of lawsuits are a waist of the court's time and our money. Insted of whining about it, do something. Take the money you spend at McDonalds and go to a gym, or the money you spent on cigarettes and get the patch. Quit blaming everyone else for your bad habbits. Oh and by the way, I'm fat and I smoke, But I'm working on it, not playing the blame game.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:17:00 AM  

God you people are idiots. Nice to see the right wing, anti lawsuit propaganda has made it even onto here--ediets. Geez.
Anyway, here's the deal. When a company knowingly produces a harmful product, why don't you think they shouldn't be responsible? Responsibility goes both ways, morons. It is my responsibility to NOT kill myself with cheeseburgers and cigarettes. It's also the responsibility for companies to not feed me highly addictive substances. Sugar(which is everywhere in McDonalds foods) and tobacco are highly addictive. Really. Even more so than some drugs. If they are responsible for the deaths of so many Americans why are they on the market then? Because they are making too much money and have bought our government off.
If they have the privilege of making billions off our asses, then they better get ready to pay.
And by the way, suing or the fear of being sued is sometimes the only way to regulate or reign in an out of control business. Next time you get into your car, put your child in a safety seat, eat your food, anything--thank god you have the ability to sue. Otherwise corporations would feed you arsenic if they could make a buck out of you.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:32:00 AM  

Anonymous,
Whoa, get off your paranoid high horse my friend. We/I have no political agenda. And I certainly don't dismiss lawsuits across the board. That's silly. I don't even think that there may not be some sort of cursory liability in some cases. I'm only emphasizing the dangerous trend of blaming everyone else for your own actions. We've known for many years that smoking is bad for you and that fast food makes you fat and unhealthy. It isn't like the wool has been pulled over our eyes.

Jason Knapfel
eDiets Senior Editor

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:03:00 PM  

Come on now..you people can really be stupid!! Who the hell sues tobacco companies for unhealthy cigarettes?!! That is just incredulously ridiculus!! How can anyone believe that a light cigarette is actually healthier? Yeah, you probably wont die as quickly from cancer and lung disease from that cigarette,,but geez..you are still gonna DIE from cancer or lung disease!! My God...all it takes is a bit of something call "Common Sense". Why dont you inhale a bit of that one of these days?!! it just might help you and the stupid money-grubbing lawyers who are actually pushing this case, and not throwing it out of the window!! But then again if someone could get money from suing McDonalds for making their kid fat,,why can't you guys?!! Like they say "Anything goes in America",,,,and by God they do mean anything!!!

Thursday, September 28, 2006 10:05:00 AM  

Ok..I smoke and am overweight. But that was my doing. I am working on the weight and will soon be working on the smoking. Again, my doing. If I lose too much weight, who should I sue? And if I get a rash from the patch, should I sue Nicoret? This country has become so sue-happy that they will sue anyone for anything. I agree that lawsuits do have their place...but it's getting really out of control. I believe the courts are as much to blame for allowing these types of actions to be filed at all. AND the lawyers need to take their share of the blame for pushing all these lawsuits to begin with. Now that we've blamed all who could possibly be at fault, guess it's time to stand up and admit who's really to blame....each person who lights a smoke or eats fatty foods or files a lawsuit and wastes the American people's time and money ! !

Monday, October 02, 2006 8:12:00 AM  

To be blunt - America has gotten "lawsuit" happy. Many will take any and every opportunity to sue large corporations if they think they can get an extra buck. I mean come on - suing because your coffee burned you, suing because eating McDonalds on a regular basis made you fat and suing tobacco makers because "light" cigarettes aren't healthier?? What in the heck has happened to plain old common sense??? We don't live in the stone age. Information about the effects of these kinds of things is available everywhere! Everyone has free choice. If people knowingly CHOOSE to purchase harmful products from these companies then they are just ensuring that the companies continue to offer these kinds or products to continue making money. Everyone has a choice! I can't believe that these people are actually getting away with suing these companies for the choices THEY make!!

Sunday, October 08, 2006 1:37:00 AM  

Thank you for talking about free choice. I often wonder why lawyers let their clients sue big companies such as McDonals and the Tabacco company. Yes, you are right, whatever happened to freedom of choice?

I used to smoke since I was in fourth grade, yeah, I know. My dad sent me to boarding school so I quit for ten years. After I got out of college I started smoking again. This time, I started drinking too. When I got pregnant with my first son, I quit. After hanging out with smokers, I took up the habit and quit two years later when I got pregnant with my second son. Again, after hanging out with my usual smokers friends, I took up the habit again until my boys were in middle school.

One day, I realized that I am getting older (45 years) and am not healthy. So I just cold turkey quit, smoking and drinking. Now adays, I work out and do not even miss smoking. Some times I regret smoking and often wonder why in the world did I put my body through that kind of abuse? I wish some one had sat me down and really, really talk to me about smoking while heading towards the forties. I believed we go through stages in our lives and our priorities change. I think that is what happened to me. Because I did not quite know what happened to me but one day I just decided I was not going to smoke any more.

So I just cold turkey quit. I do not know what is wrong with me because I did not have a hard time as some of my smokers friends when it comes to choosing to quit the habit. Of course, many times I would tell myself I will quit but I always smoke again. But one day, I just decided I am going to quit for good and I did. During my pregnancies I had a reason to quit, I guess these days, I just wanted to be healthy. It has been a year now and I have not smoke.

Smokers out there, you can do it, if I can kicked the habit, you can do, just make up your mind that it is going to be your last one and you will be surprise how strong you are.