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STATEMENT ON FLORIDA SUPREME COURT RULING ON ENGLE CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT by Kathryn Mulvey, Executive Director Corporate Accountability International For Immediate Release: Contact: "Today's Florida Supreme Court ruling demonstrates the United States lagging farther behind, as the rest of the world moves forward to hold tobacco corporations accountable for their deadly products and practices. Already, 132 countries have ratified the global tobacco treaty to address the tobacco epidemic as a single global health problem, rejecting the notion that tobacco addiction and related illnesses are solely matters of individual responsibility. We are deeply concerned about the court's finding that the original $145 billion punitive damage award was excessive, and that the Engle case did not meet requirements for a class action. While upholding damage awards to two individuals was a small step in the right direction, it is a drop in the bucket in the face of the massive human and economic toll taken by tobacco. "By 2020, tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria and infamous marketing schemes like the Marlboro Man will be responsible for 10 million deaths per year. Today's ruling sends one clear message to the rest of the world: The Bush Administrations in Washington and Florida don't care. "The Bush Administration signed the global tobacco treaty in May 2004, but has not given the U.S. Senate an opportunity to vote on ratification. "After today's ruling, the Altria Group has cleared one of the last hurdles before its much-anticipated breakup. Since acquiring Kraft Foods in 1988, Philip Morris/Altria has been broadly criticized for hiding tobacco abuses behind Kraft's kid-friendly image. Health and corporate accountability groups believe the split will be a victory for public health in the long run, by dramatically reducing the financial resources and political clout of the world's largest tobacco corporation." # # # Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations--like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria--to stop abusive actions. Corporate Accountability International, an NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), played a key role in development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
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