Recently a Florida jury awarded $145 billion to more
than 300 thousand people who filed a class-action suit against four
tobacco companies. How would you assess the decision?
DeQua Coleman
First-year
Undeclared
“If people are dumb enough to spend their money on
cigarettes, then they get what they pay for. If they’re
paying for a cancer stick, then they’re going to get cancer.
People should be responsible for their own actions. If they spend
their money on the cigarettes then they should get what’s
coming to them, that’s the bottom line. The lawsuit was
unfair. Why would you sue somebody for something you enjoy?
They’ve seen the Surgeon General’s warnings; they
should have been aware of the consequences.” Nathan
Harkelroad
Fourth-year
Psychology
“I’m all for suing and even taxing the tobacco
company; I think they’ve caused a lot of harm to society. The
large majority of them are filled with worthless individuals.
I’m sure that they have the finances to cover the amount of
money they were sued for in the case, so I don’t think it
will do much to them anyway. Smoking is a worldwide phenomenon and
even if we destroy part of the market here I think it would live on
in other parts of the world. The results serve as a punishment to
the tobacco industry, since they haven’t informed people of
all the consequences of tobacco use.” Anthony
Hughes
First-year
Undeclared
“Personally, I’m against smoking because I’ve
seen what it can do to you internally and externally, and that
changes your whole attitude. Anything that can alter your mind
shouldn’t be allowed. When I come up to people I tell them
that although I’m not trying to get into their business, they
shouldn’t smoke around me since they’re killing me and
others slowly but surely. It’s not only the people smoking
that are suing, I know that their families are suing as well
because they’re seeing loved ones die before their eyes. I
think it’s fair that they sue; the tobacco company has a
license to kill and I think that should be taken away.”
Jean Chang
First-year
Undeclared
“I think that people should take more responsibility for
themselves. It’s not like the tobacco industry is forcing
anybody to do anything. You’re actually responsible for
yourself. To sue them for your own actions is not right; it’s
not really ethical. The tobacco industry should appeal the decision
and it should go their way. If you say that the people should get
that much money then that’s going to allow people to sue for
so many different things, like for selling guns.”
Katy Tschann-Grimm
First-year
Geophysics
“The tobacco industry has been using their addiction power
in order to make money. They are obviously only after money and
don’t care about health. They need to pay for health just
like auto industries need to pay when people get hurt from car
crashes and defective cars. The lawsuit was for a lot of money, but
I also hear that a lot of people die, so it evens out at the end.
Overall, the tobacco industry needs to figure out how to make their
products less addictive and how to cause less health
problems.” Stephanie Chang
First-year
World arts and culture
“If you choose to smoke then you shouldn’t be
allowed to sue a company because it would make little sense. Think
about it. You choose to put harmful stuff into your body, why in
the world should they pay you for making yourself sick? It’s
not their problem that you chose to smoke. It’s ridiculous to
sue them in the first place. It would be different if you were
forced to smoke or forcibly intoxicated, but its something that you
decide to do.” Compiled by CUAUHTEMOC ORTEGA, Daily Bruin
Staff. Photos by MINDY ROSS and NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Senior
Staff. Web Adaptation by ROBERT LIU/Daily Bruin Senior Staff