Judge orders tobacco companies to admit deception publicly

[Newsjock]

Source: Reuters

Major tobacco companies must take out advertisements saying they deliberately deceived the U.S. public about the danger and addictiveness of cigarettes, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

The ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia aims to finalize the wording of the advertisements that the judge first ordered in 2006 after finding the companies violated federal racketeering law.

Tobacco companies fought a public admission of deception, calling it a violation of their free speech rights.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler rejected the companies' position, finding that the final wording - which the companies and the U.S. Justice Department have fought over for years - is factual and not controversial.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-orders-tobacco-companies-admit-deception-publicly-204217664--sector.html

[hrmjustin]

1. It is about time.

[forestpath]

2. Good.

[tclambert]

3. But, but what about all those tobacco company scientists who questioned all that junk science

claiming cigarettes caused dire health problems?

Oh, I remember. They went to work for oil companies where they now come up with arguments to cast doubt on global warming. (I'm not kidding. That's what really happened.)

[bananas]

4. Wow! Hope this starts a trend! nt

[truthisfreedom]

5. So when do the climate change deniers have to take out ads?

Seems apropo.

[BlueMan Votes]

7. once Miami is under 5 feet of water.

[drm604]

9. how about once NYC's subways are flooded?

[BlueMan Votes]

10. without constant pumping- they already would be.

kinda like new orleans.

[drm604]

11. Irrelevant to my point.

They were flooded during Sandy. My point was that the time in now.

[BlueMan Votes]

6. Instead of the first, they should have invoked the 5th Amendment.

for all the good it would do them.

[freshwest]

8. Very, very good.