Florida Jury Awards $5.3 Million In Lawsuit Against Tobacco Giant

Tobacco giant Philip Morris should pay a suburban Boynton Beach man at least $5.3 million for hiding the dangers of low-tar cigarettes that caused his wife’s 2014 death from lung cancer at age 56, a Palm Beach Country jury agreed this week. Brenda Gentile, who started smoking in high school, believed that the cigarettes the tobacco giant marketed as “light” were healthier than old-style ones with no filters and less nicotine, said attorney Eric Rosen, who represented widower Michael Gentile in the nearly two-week-long trial. Using U.S . Surgeon General reports and the cigarette-maker’s internal documents, Rosen showed that the company knew its advertising campaigns were false. Studies showed filtered cigarettes , because of the way they are designed, were actually more dangerous, he said. Further, Rosen said, Philip Morris’ memos showed it marketed certain brands, such as Virginia Slims, to women, knowing they were a lucrative market. With slogans like,...