A Deadly Fraud

Tobacco’s devastating toll in the United States and around the world is no accident. It stems directly from the tobacco industry’s insidious and even illegal practices. For decades, the tobacco industry has:

• Marketed its deadly and addictive products to children
• Deceived the public about the harmful effects of tobacco use
• Fought proven measures that reduce tobacco use and save lives

Presented with overwhelming evidence of tobacco industry deception, U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler in 2006 issued a landmark verdict that the major cigarette manufacturers are racketeers who engaged in a deadly fraud. In June 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Judge Kessler’s verdict to stand.

"The Tobacco Industry has marketed and sold their lethal products with zeal, with deception, with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted.”

— U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler in 2006 verdict against cigarette companies.