HEALTH

Cigarette Makers Can Appeal Class-Action Status: Judge Okla Jones II of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana agreed to send his decision granting class-action status in the so-called Castano case to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals for review. It is the second pro-tobacco ruling in recent weeks. A West Virginia judge earlier struck down most of a state lawsuit seeking to hold tobacco companies liable for smoking-related medical expenses. “It suggests Judge Jones may be not as confident as he was that certifying the class was a good thing,” said Gary Black, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. Named as defendants in the suit are Philip Morris, RJR Nabisco Holdings, American Tobacco, Loews, Brooke Group, UST and BAT Industries or their subsidiaries.