Lawsuit Against Philip Morris for Deceptive Marketing of “Light” Cigarettes Ends in Mistrial

The Wall Street Journal reports that a Missouri judge has declared a mistrial in a lawsuit brought against cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris because jurors were deadlocked on the issue of liability against the company.  The cigarettes had been marketed for decades as “Light” cigarettes with “Lowered Tar and Nicotine”, which according to the plaintiffs was designed to give consumers the impression that the cigarettes were less harmful.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now prohibits the use of these phrases due to their misleading nature.  According to the plaintiffs attorneys the jury was split with eight in favor of liability against the cigarette manufacturer, just one short of the required number in Missouri for a finding of liability.  The plaintiffs intend to bring the case to trial again.