Court Rules Against Black Smokers
A federal appeals court threw out claims against Philip Morris Cos. and other tobacco companies that they intentionally marketed less healthy menthol cigarettes to blacks.
The decision by the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia affirmed a lower court’s ruling that a group of black smokers didn’t show there was a disparity between products sold to black smokers and those sold to white smokers.
The suit cited R.J. Reynolds’ Uptown brand as one example of menthol cigarettes designed to appeal to black smokers. The brand was withdrawn in 1990.
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