A federal judge has ruled that people who smoked light cigarettes, which were frequently promoted as a safe alternative to regular cigarettes, can sue for fraud in a class-action suit.
There was substantial evidence that manufacturers knew light cigarettes were at least as dangerous as regular cigarettes.
Medical researchers have found that people draw harder on light cigarettes, filling their lungs with more toxic material than they would get from regular cigarettes.
The case differs from previous tobacco lawsuits in that it claims the industry defrauded customers, rather than that the smokers were personally injured. Since 45 percent of smokers use light cigarettes, vast numbers of people could become involved in the suit.
It could potentially involve tens of millions of people and damages of up to $200 billion.
Before the class-action suit can proceed to a jury trial, it must be upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Many litigation experts believe that it will be struck down in this court.
Not only are the toxic compounds used to make cigarettes more addictive than reported, but "light" cigarettes are at least as deadly as the "full-strength," and Big Tobacco knew about it, too. There's been 35 years of fraud about this, dating back to when Philip Morris first introduced Marlboro Lights.
The response from the general counsel representing Altria, the reformed, renamed Philip Morris that produces half of America's cigarettes, was that the federal government -- not Big Tobacco -- was to blame for the belief "light" cigarettes were any safer than the real ones.
While I still believe that eating sugar is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes, it is obviously best to not smoke. Light or not, cutting back on cigarettes -- even down to one a day -- won't lower your risk of cancer because the odds of you restarting are just too high. Your best bet is to go cold turkey.
However, it has been my experience that unless you have addressed your dietary challenges most smokers trying to quit tend to substitute unhealthy "rewards" for their cigarettes.
For example, my sister stopped smoking over 20 years ago, but she gained well over 100 pounds (which she never lost). She never addressed the dietary issues first, and simply exchanged an increased risk for lung cancer with an increase in the risk of heart disease, diabetes and general cancers.
Most smokers invariably choose more junk food to compensate for their loss. Additionally, most smokers experience depression when they give up their smoking habit, making it enormously difficult for them to attempt any serious diet modifications.
But controlling your insulin levels is one of the most important things you can do to optimize your health, and avoiding sugar and grains is essential to do this.
Smokers have some wonderful tools at their disposal to help them successfully quit while at the same time maintaining a healthy diet. Energy psychology techniques like EFT are a great way to get on the road to better health.
You can view our free instructional guide on EFT here.