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TrialtimehasstartedforacaseCityofSt.Louisv.AmericanTo-baccoinvolvingagroupof37Missourihospitalssuingtobaccocompaniesforthetreatmentofsmoking-relatedillnessesamongpatientswhodidnothavemedicalinsurance.Thehospitalsareseek-ing477millionincompensationforclaimsdatingbackto1993ac-cordingtothe.Theindustryiswatchingthecasecloselybelievingthatitcouldwellsetaprecedentforsimilarlawsuitsacrossthecountry.Lawyersrepresentingthehos-pitalschargethattobaccocompa-niesknewasfarbackasthe1950sthatcigaretteswereaddictiveandharmfulyetcontinuedtomanu-factureandmarketthemandtheydontthinkforoneminuteaboutwhoshouldpayforit.PhilipMorrisUSAscounselcounteredthat95percentofallpa-tientspaidtheirhospitalbillsandthatonlyoneofeveryvesmoked.Prof.MichaelSiegelofBos-tonUniversitysSchoolofPublicHealthdoesnotbelievethehos-pitalsshouldprevailintheirsuit.AlthoughIagreethatcigarettecompaniesproduceadeadlyandaddictiveproductthattheyhavehistoricallyliedaboutthehealtheffectsoftheproductthattheyknewtheproductwasaddictiveandharmfulyetcoveredthatin-formationupandthattheycon-tinuetomanufactureandmarketthisdeadlyproductIdonotbe-lievethattheMissourihospitalsareentitledtocompensationfromthetobaccocompaniesfortreatmentofsmoking-relatedill-nesseshewritesinhisblogtobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com.Thehospitalsarenotentitledtocompensationfromtobac-cocompaniesfortreatmentofsmoking-relatedillnessesanymorethantheyareentitledtocompensationfromalcoholcompaniesfortreatmentofalco-hol-relateddiseasescompensationfromfastfoodandsoftdrinkcompaniesfortreat-mentofobesity-relateddiseasescompensationfrommotorve-hiclecompaniesfortreatmentofmotorvehiclecrashinjuriescausedbydefectiveproductdesignscompensationfromtoycom-paniesfortreatmentofchildin-juriescausedbytoyswithsafetyawscompensationfromlettucemanufacturerswhoproducedE.coli-contaminatedproducefortreatmentofinfectionsamongpatientswhoconsumedthispro-duceorcompensationfrompharma-ceuticalcompaniesfortreatmentofillnessesrelatedtosideeffectsofmedications.Allowinghospitalstobecom-pensatedfortreatmentofsmok-ing-relatedillnesseswouldopentheoodgatesforsimilarlawsuitstobebroughtagainstallsortsofmanufacturersofproductswhichcausehumanillnesscontinuesSiegel.AlthoughIamobviouslysympathetictothedesiretoholdtobaccocompaniesaccountablefortheiractionsIdonotbelievethatthiscasehasanylegalmerit.Inanongoingbattleagainstcounterfeitersofitspop-ularMarlborobrandcigarettesPhilipMorrisUSAre-centlyseized290packsofcounterfeitcigarettesfromtwoNewYorkretailers.TheseizurewhichtookplaceonthePoospatuckReservationinSuffolkCountycameafterafederaljudgeinNewYorkapprovedPMUSAsrequestfortherighttosearchsmokeshopsforcounterfeitMarlborosinNewYork.Initsefforttocombatcounterfeitingthecompanyhassued48re-tailersinthestateforsellingcounterfeitMarlborosincludingsixotherPoospatuckretailers.SmokerFriendlyInternationalrecentlysignedSantaClaraCalif.conveniencestorechainRottenRobbieasanauthorizeddealer.RottenRobbiewillbetheex-clusiveretailerforSmokerFriendlysSFPrivateLabelTobaccoproductsinitsregionofnorthernCalifornia.SmokersinNewYorkwonthavetoworryaboutthecitysnewlawbanningsmokingatbeachesandparksbecauseMayorMichaelBloomberghassaidthatthepolicewontenforceit.ThepolicewillnotbeenforcingthishetoldaconcernedcallerwhophonedintothemayorsWOR-AMradioshow.Thatsnotgoingtobetheirjob.WhypassabanthathedoesntplantoenforceThemayorsaysthatthethreataloneofthe50neforsmokinginpublicparkswhichwaspassedbytheCityCouncilinFebruaryandnowawaitsBloom-bergssignaturewilldiscouragesmokersandre-ducetheamountofsecondhandsmokeinthecity.Unintendedconsequencesoflegislationundercon-siderationinUtahHB0170willpreventthesaleofvirtuallyallpipetobaccosaccordingtotheInterna-tionalPremiumCigarPipeRetailersAssociation.Theoriginalversionofthelegislationprohibitedthesaleofanykindofavoredtobaccoproductbutwasamendedwithanexemptionforcigars.HoweveritwouldstillmakearomaticpipetobaccosillegaltosellorpurchaseinUtahjeopardizingthefutureofthestatespipetobaccobusiness.HospitalsHitUpTobaccoCompaniesinCourtPhilipMorrisTargetsCounterfeitersRottenRobbieJoinsSmokerFriendlyInternationalNewYorksOddBanPlanUtahBanMayKillPipeMarketHigHligHtsTOBACCOOUTLETBUSINESSMARCHAPRIL2011MARCHAPRIL2011St.LouisPost-Dis-patch12NEWSTRENDSAcaseagainstBigTobaccoisbeingwatchedcloselybytheindustry.