Statement by the American Cancer Society regarding the decision by U.S. District Court to allow Federal lawsuit against the Tobacco Industry to proceed under Racketeering claimsAmerican Cancer Society Today, the American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, released the following statement on U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler's ruling allowing the federal tobacco lawsuit to proceed: "The good news today is, the federal lawsuit against Big Tobacco is alive and well.The American Cancer Society is pleased that the court has ruled that two extremely powerful government claims against the tobacco industry are legally sound and should be allowed to proceed. Even though the judge dismissed two potential claims, the message is clearer than ever -- this lawsuit has strong legal merit, and that the tobacco industry can be held accountable for its unlawful behavior.  The tobacco industry's extreme and outrageous practices have compromised the health of millions of Americans for decades. Now that the court has found that these major claims against the tobacco industry have legal merit, Congress should provide full funding for this historic lawsuit. Any move by Congress to stop the lawsuit now would be seen as a blatant attempt to protect Big Tobacco from serious federal claims. Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in America, killing about 430,000 people each year. Thirty percent of all cancer deaths are attributable to tobacco use. More than $50 billion is spent in health care costs each year to treat diseases caused by smoking." The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the American Cancer Society website.
For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org |
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