The good news for tobacco companies is that U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler didn't believe she had the authority to order them to pay major punitive damages for deceiving the public about the dangers associated with smoking.
The bad news is the judge did find the companies guilty of racketeering and has banned the use of terms such as light, low tar, ultra light or mild on packages since cigarettes with these designations have not been found to be any safer than those without the labels.
In her ruling, Judge Kessler said: "Over the course of more than 50 years, defendants lied, misrepresented and deceived the American public, including smokers and the young people they avidly sought as 'replacement smokers,' about the devastating health effects of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (second-hand smoke)."
Discussion Questions: How will Judge Kessler's ruling that cigarettes can no longer be labeled light, low tar, ultra light or mild impact tobacco company marketing of its products? What, if anything, will this mean for retailers that sell cigarettes and other forms of tobacco?