Venezuela Sues U.S. Cigarette Makers

The government of Venezuela sued major U.S. cigarette makers in an effort to recover the public health-care costs of treating sick smokers. The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court in Florida, named 20 tobacco companies, affiliated companies and industry institutions and seeks billions of dollars in damages, said Steven Marks, an attorney representing Venezuela. Philip Morris Cos., the largest U.S. cigarette maker, said it will vigorously defend the lawsuit. Marks said his law firm is also preparing lawsuits on behalf of Ecuador and the Russian Federation. Nicaragua and Guatemala have filed similar suits. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission dropped its complaint alleging unfair advertising related to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.’s Joe Camel, saying the case had become unnecessary in light of the $206-billion settlement between the industry and state governments as well as other regulatory actions. Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by Hawaii-based labor unions aimed at recovering money spent treating their members’ smoking-related illnesses.