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Tobacco Companies Found Guilty of Massive Wrongdoing But Remedies Fail to Protect American People and Must Be Appealed

Statement of William V. Corr Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Washington, DC - Today is judgment day for the tobacco industry, and the judgment is guilty as charged - guilty of lying to the American people and marketing their deadly and addictive products to our children at untold cost in lives and suffering. The tobacco companies have rightly been labeled racketeers for engaging in a decades-long scheme to defraud the American people to their tremendous financial benefit, but at great cost to our nation. We are deeply disappointed, however, that Judge Gladys Kessler felt constrained in the remedies she could impose by misguided appellate court rulings. Given the overwhelming scope of the industry’s wrongdoing found by the judge, much of which continues today, the Bush Administration has an obligation to appeal the remedies in this case to protect the American people and especially our children.