Tobacco Documents Online

i slanoN WABC-TV e ABC wORLD riEWS S.ATUR:DAYSol NEW YORK 01/30/93 06:40PM auaEnia CHALR.ES KVEPER LAWSIIIT BROADCAST EXC'ERPT CAROLE S'IMPSQN (ANCHOR) : Tobacco industry officiaJ.s and smokers' rights groups are savoring a rare victory today. They're hailing an Illinois jury's decision that the tobacco industry is not responsible for one dying man's lung cancer.. The :tory from ABC' S Bill Blakemore. BILL BLAKEMORE (REPORTER): The Supreme Court ruled last year that in spite of warning labels tobacr=-~antes might still be sued on the grounds of ~oncealing information about the dangers of omoking. And that's what lung cancer patient Charles Rueper, a heavy smoker since his youth, said he and his lawyers would prove against R J Reynolds. C7DR.LES KUEPER (LUNG CANCER PATIENT) : I kncw that smoking was bad for your health. The deceiving part is the way that they represent their products. Tobacco companies represent like there's no proof of it. BLAKEMORE : The jury agreed some advertising is misleading but found no proof the tobacco industry had concealed damaging information from the public. In any case they found no proof Kueper's cancer was not caused by his work activity. JIM LORD (JQROR) : The chemicals could have played a part. Cutting pipe, when he cut pipe could have played a part. ED RATICA (JMY FOREMAN) : He decided he wanted to smoke. He enjoyed it and he continued smoking throughout. Even after he was warued. Even after he realized there was warnings on cigarettes. BLAKEMORE: Rueper's lawyers said after'the verdict that tobacco companies are no better than Columbian drug lords. BRUCE COOK (ItIIEPIIt' S LAWYER) : These are no good s-o-bs who L,~ encourage people to smoke and they shouldn't profit- from it. BLAKEMORE: The tobacco industry, which feared a deluge of suites if it lost, says its•playing by the rules society set up in the f orm of warning labels. Bill Blakemore, ABC NEWS.