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Federal government sues tobacco companies
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10-4-99 Washington. During his State of the Union address in January, President Clinton vowed to sue the tobacco industry to recover billions of dollars the government has spent treating smoking-related illnesses. Late last month, the Department of Justice filed the massive lawsuit. The 131-page complaint, announced by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, alleges that the tobacco industry conspired to defraud and mislead the American public about the dangers of smoking for more than 45 years. The government claims that documents disgorged from the industry in the past few years show a paper trail of deceit regarding the industry's position that cigarettes are not harmful. "Cigarette companies conducted their business without regard to the truth, the law, or the health of the American people," Reno said at a news conference. The lawsuit doesn't specify the amount of monetary damages, but the government estimates smoking-related illnesses cost the nation $22 billion annually, through programs such as Medicare and veterans benefits. Tobacco companies immediately denounced the suit and vowed not to settle out of court. Last November, the industry reached a $206 billion settlement with 46 states The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., one of 11 defendants named in the suit, rejects the government's arguments. "We believe that when the law is applied and the case is judged on its merits-not on rhetoric or sound bites-the courts will find that the Justice Department doesn't have a valid case against the tobacco industry," said Seth Moskowitz, a spokesperson for the company, which is based in Winston-Salem, N.C. Anti-tobacco advocates applauded the action. "For too long, these [healthcare] costs have been unfairly borne by U.S. taxpayers. Tobacco companies must be held accountable for the death, disease, and economic burdens caused by their products," said John R. Garrison, CEO of the New York City-based American Lung Association, in a statement. "The federal lawsuit will help accomplish that goal."
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