Tobacco Documents Online

"Suing Tobacco Firms Said to Be Not Worth the Trouble [Study]" Washington Times (07/13/94) P. A10; Taylor, Ronald A. State lawsuits against tobacco companies to recover the health costs of smoking-related diseases will bring scant relief to taxpayers, according to John Berthoud, who authored a study for the Common- wealth Foundation of Virginia. "States will not get anywhere near the return they claim," he said. When states pay health care costs from the federal Medicaid program, they must reimburse the federal government part of the money. Medicaid pays about 61 percent of the average state's cost. Under federal law, the U.S. government would receive a large portion of any jury awards against tobacco companies in state lawsuits seeking to recover the costs of providing for residents with smoking-related illnesses. Lawyers' fees could also take another 20 percent to 30 percent of the court award. "If they win ... the return to states from the actual litigation will be much less than advocates are touting," the study says. "More States Plan to Sue for Costs of Smoking" Christian Science Monitor (07/12/94) P. 6; Scherer, Ron Several states are considering filing lawsuits against the tobacco industry to recover growing Medicaid expenses. On May 26, Florida Governor Lawton Chiles signed legislation allowing the state to sue on behalf of all Medicaid patients who smoke. On Monday, Massa- chusetts Governor William Weld signed a budget bill that also includes a section allowing the state to sue the tobacco companies for health costs. "The language was disappointing relative to what we proposed, but Attorney General Scott Harshbarger supports the concept," Says Thomas Green, first assistant attorney general. While many of the states are considering specific legislation to permit the lawsuits, Mississippi is employing existing state laws. "We are saying to the tobacco companies, pay your fair share of the costs," says Trey Bobinger, an attorney general spokesman. "Editorial: Tobacco 'Criminals"` Advertising Age (07/04/94) Vol. 65, No. 28, P. 13 The editors of Advertising Age address the much-publicized anti- tobacco debate. According to the editors, legislators seeking to be re-elected this November are looking for an issue people will take definite and passionate sides on, and in this election, the subject is smoking. If Attorney General Janet Reno is persuaded to use the Racketeer influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act against tobacco companies, the editors reason that the names of all the states who benefited from the tobacco taxes they've collected will also be I