EDWARDSVILLE'S IN THE NEWS LIKE CRAZY THIS WEEK . . .

Jen's hometown is on the national front this week. Judge Nicholas G. Byron issued a $10.1 billion ruling in a class action lawsuit against Phillip Morris. Apparently, some of us smokers are bellyachin' about PM's advertising about tar and nicotine in "Light" cigarettes.

I'm still not sure if this was actually "fraudulent." Studies have shown for years that smokers tend to inhale more, and longer when smoking light cigarettes vs. full flavor, because of a perceived feeling that lighter cigarettes are healthier. But should tobacco companies be blamed for the "sin of omission?" What about the government? Every advertisement for cigarettes plainly shows that the ratings that a company uses are based on "the FTC test method." If the government knows that "light" cigarettes routinely "fool" the smoke machines, and that actual use varies by each smoker, why hasn't the test been modified for light cigarettes?

The point is this: smokers have known for years, either after they had been smoking for a long time, as in the case of older generations, or before they began smoking, as in the case of baby boomers/Generation X/Y smokers. IMHO, the recent class-action suits against smokers are just blaming the companies, or socialization, or whatever scapegoat can be found, instead of taking personal responsibility.

I'm a smoker, and I was (and am) fully aware of the health risks involved when I started smoking. I take personal responsibility for the health dangers that I incur currently and in the future. Just like consumers should fully read pamphlets included with prescription drugs, etc., consumers should be fully aware of the consequences of their actions with smoking. The only solution to fully protect the lemmings that are too lazy/stupid/ignorant/blindly living their lives from the dangers of smoking is to include literature with every pack. Of course, those will probably be tossed aside like the cellophane and foil liners currently in cigarettes, at least then, the tobacco companies will be finally able to cover their asses (and their assets).