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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Attorneys general in 14 different states filed lawsuits against TikTok last week.</li><li>They say TikTok's algorithm is addictive and harmful to children's mental health.</li></ul>TikTok is facing lawsuits from 14 state attorneys general who say the company's algorithm harms children. Legal experts say the coordinated challenge is designed to take down big companies.Adam Wandt, an attorney and deputy chair for technology at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice, said the barrage of state lawsuits mirrors challenges against Big Tobacco in the 1990s and Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, in the 2000s. In both cases, the lawsuits were used to "overwhelm those industries," he said."The other advantage it gives is, if there are defects in one of the suits, the other suits still survive," Wandt said. "It's actually a pretty good strategy."Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and trial lawyer in California, said that attorneys commonly file multiple lawsuits across several states when they go after "multibillion-dollar" companies because they are more expensive for the companies to defend."Opioid companies, for instance, wouldn't have entered into the settlements that they did had they only dealt with one attorney general or a lawsuit in one state, but when they're looking at multiple lawsuits across the country, and really the continued viability of their company, it's more likely that they'll enter into some settlement," Rahmani said."You might win one or two lawsuits. How are you going to win a dozen?" he added.The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, ultimately paid over <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/purdue-pharma-oxycontin-sacklers-tentative-settlement-opioid-lawsuits-2019-9">$3 billion in settlements</a> for misleading advertising related to their products. Purdue Pharma later <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-rejects-bankruptcy-plan-protecting-sacklers-2024-6">filed for bankruptcy</a>, but the Supreme Court struck down a $7 billion bankruptcy plan in June that would have given the Sackler's immunity from future civil suits.Big Tech companies like Meta, Google, and TikTok are usually shielded from liability related to the content users post to their sites by Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. No matter how harmful the content, tech companies are considered by law the uninvolved host or "intermediary" for the content.Rahmani said that courts examining the 14 new lawsuits against TikTok will focus on whether the company's algorithm is causing harm, not whether it is hosting harmful content."There's a difference between passively allowing people to post, but really what we're talking about is TikTok's algorithm," Rahmani said.On Thursday, NPR reported that over 30 pages of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-lawsuit-algorithm-children-internal-documents-revealed-2024-10">accidentally unredacted court documents</a> detailed some of the findings of the joint investigation into TikTok. Wandt said those documents showed that TikTok "has very intentionally ignored" federal regulations."I think that the types of legal protections we give to social media companies might not protect them if they are found to be lax with some of the federal laws," Wandt said.Still, the biggest loss for TikTok may come in the court of public opinion, Rahmani said.Congress passed a bill in April that requires TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-app-american-us-not-worried-2024-9">find a new owner</a> for the app or face a potential ban in the United States. With the prospect of <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-app-american-us-not-worried-2024-9">that federal ban looming</a> next year, a slew of federal lawsuits helps shape public opinion and "pressure lawmakers to act," Rahmani said."There's now this narrative: Tiktok isn't about fun, silly dancing. It's dangerously pushing out harmful material for our children," he said. "So that's very different."In a statement to BI, a spokesperson for TikTok said the company "strongly disagrees with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading." The spokesperson said the company cooperated with the investigation for two years and that " it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges.""We're proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we've done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product," the spokesperson said.

New lawsuits against TikTok mirror those against Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma

10 points on how to quit smoking based on WHO guidelines

Around 26 per cent of <keyword id="19896991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer" source="keywords">cancer</keyword> patients in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> have tumours in the head and neck, and there is an upward trend of such cases in the country, a study has found. The findings of the study, conducted on 1,869 cancer patients across the country, were released on the World <keyword id="20775483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="head-and-neck-cancer" source="keywords">Head and Neck Cancer</keyword> Day observed on Saturday. Cancer Mukt Bharat Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation, conducted the study by collating data from calls received on its helpline number from March 1 to June 30. Dr. Ashish Gupta, a senior oncologist who is heading the Cancer Mukt Bharat Campaign in India, said that India is seeing surge in head and neck cancer cases, especially among young men, due to increased <keyword id="20681485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tobacco-consumption" source="keywords">tobacco consumption</keyword> and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. "Around 80-90 pc of oral cancer patients have been found to use tobacco in some form, be it smoking or chewing. Most of the head and neck cancer are preventable, unlike other cancers for which the reason is unknown. It is a preventable cancer that can be prevented with lifestyle modification. "There is a need to raise awareness to quit tobacco and early check-ups for early pickup of the disease," Gupta said. In India, nearly two-thirds of cancer cases are detected late likely due to low adoption of proper screening, he said. Gupta added that the Cancer Mukt Bharat campaign aims to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer on individuals and communities through education and early detection. "If found early in stages one or two, most head and neck cancers are curable in more than 80 pc of patients. In the field of cancer treatment, we get new medicines almost every week which can treat cancer in better way leading to better outcomes and good quality of life. "A combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy can be used for treating head and neck cancer. Latest cancer treatment has evolved to prioritize not just curing the disease, but also ensuring a good quality of life for survivors," he said. Under the Cancer Mukt Bharat Campaign, a free national helpline number (93-555-20202) was launched recently, which is operational from 10 am to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday. Cancer patients can call on this number to speak to leading oncologists directly or even do a video call to discuss about their treatment without paying any fees. Head and neck cancer was closely followed by gastrointestinal cancers which was 16 per cent. Fufteen per cent cancers in India re breast cancers and and blood cancers make up 9 per cent of them. These data are in line with the latest GLOBOCAN data -- a database that gives global cancer statistics -- on India. GLOBOCON data is part of International Agency for Research on Cancer's Global Cancer Observatory. India is expected to have 2.1 million new cancer cases by 2040, a big jump from the numbers in 2020, as per a recent GLOBOCAN report. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-to-manufacture-iphone-16-pro-models-in-india-soon-after-launch/articleshow/112045172.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-to-manufacture-iphone-16-pro-models-in-india-soon-after-launch/articleshow/112045172.cms" target="_blank">Apple to manufacture iPhone 16 Pro models in India soon after launch</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/pixel-9-series-design-and-specs-revealed-ahead-of-launch-next-month/articleshow/112039063.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/pixel-9-series-design-and-specs-revealed-ahead-of-launch-next-month/articleshow/112039063.cms" target="_blank">Pixel 9 series design and specs revealed ahead of launch next month</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/akums-drugs-ipo-opens-soon-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112033450.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/akums-drugs-ipo-opens-soon-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112033450.cms" target="_blank">Akums Drugs IPO opens soon – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a>

Cancers in head and neck rising, account for 26% cases in India: Study

Surgeon general compares social media to tobacco and alcohol in call for warning labels

The government has made it mandatory for <keyword id="5293670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-platforms" source="Orion">OTT platforms</keyword> to display an anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen during the period of a tobacco product being displayed or used in a programme, the Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday. The government notified the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2023 on May 31, Minister of State for Health SP Singh Baghel said in a written reply. According to the amended rules, every publisher of online curated contents displaying tobacco products or their use has to display anti-tobacco health spots, for a minimum 30 seconds each at the beginning and middle of the programme. They have to display anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen during the period of display of the tobacco products or their use in the programme, and also display an audio-visual disclaimer on the ill-effects of tobacco for a minimum 20 seconds each in the beginning and middle of the programme, Baghel said in his written reply. Moreover, all compliance is ensured as per Rule (6) of the Amendment Rules, 2023 through an inter-ministerial committee consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Now, OTT platforms must display anti-tobacco warnings onscreen

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk called the framework that evaluates companies' social and sustainability standards "the devil" on Wednesday.</li><li>The billionaire tech boss highlighted a report showing tobacco stocks scoring more highly than Tesla in ESG ratings.</li></ul>Elon Musk slammed the framework that evaluates companies' environmental, social and governance standards, flagging that tobacco firms tend to receive higher ESG ratings than electric-vehicle maker <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tsla-stock">Tesla</a>."Why ESG is the devil," the Tesla and SpaceX chief said on <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1668829554448777216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, in response to an article by <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/how-tobacco-companies-are-crushing-esg-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Free Beacon</a> reporter Aaron Sibarium.ESG is a set of standards meant to assess business practices in relation to sustainability and ethical concerns. An increasing number of financial-market participants use ESG-based ratings as a guidance for socially responsible investing – rather than simply buying assets they think will deliver the best returns.They often use a 1-to-100 ratings scale, determined by research firms like S&amp;P Global and Morningstar.But critics of the framework say it encourages <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/15/greenwashing-era-is-over-say-ad-agencies-as-regulators-get-tough" target="_blank" rel="noopener">so-called "greenwashing"</a>, and fails to properly rate companies based on their social contributions."From S&amp;P Global to the London Stock Exchange, tobacco companies are crushing Tesla in the ESG ratings," <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronsibarium/status/1668658866337218560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sibarium had tweeted Tuesday</a>. "How could cigarettes, which kill over 8 million a year, be deemed a more ethical investment than electric cars?" he added.Sibarium's article pointed out that <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/tesla-chevron-stock-sp500-esg-score-index-bf95e0fe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">S&amp;P Global's latest ESG rankings</a> gave EV maker Tesla a score of 37 – and tobacco giant <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/pm-stock">Philip Morris</a> an 84.The London Stock Exchange gave <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/bti-stock">British American Tobacco</a> an ESG rating of 94, and Tesla a more middling 65. Read more: <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/elon-musk-pokes-fun-bill-miller-shorting-tesla-stock-2023-6">Elon Musk pokes fun at elite investor Bill Miller for shorting Tesla stock when it was less than half its current level</a>

Elon Musk says 'ESG is the devil' with tobacco firms trouncing Tesla in social-responsibility ratings

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Insider obtained an internal listing of all of a tobacco giant's recent political contributions.</li><li>The company donated to roughly 800 candidates for state legislature, political action committees, and ballot initiatives.</li></ul>Menthol in cigarettes and flavored cigars could soon be outlawed, as the US Food and Drug Administration and state legislatures carefully prepare to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-working-to-ban-menthol-cigarettes-flavored-cigars-biden-approves-2021-4">regulate or legislate</a> them into history.But one tobacco giant — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/reynolds-american">Reynolds American</a> — is actively spreading millions of dollars to hundreds of state-level political candidates and political action committees, according to an internal corporate governance document reviewed by Insider.<keyword id="13995146" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="reynolds-american" source="Orion">Reynolds American</keyword>, best known for brands such as Newport and Camel cigarettes, spread nearly $6 million among more than 800 state-level political candidates, political action committees, and ballot initiative committees during 2021, an analysis of the document indicates.In all, Reynolds American directly donated to candidates and committees in 31 states plus the District of Columbia, according to its document. Florida, California, Georgia, and New Jersey were among Reynolds American's top targets.Reynolds American also donated an additional $3.84 million to federal-level political committees and organizations, the vast majority going to Republican-aligned groups.Itself owned by <keyword id="12086836" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="british-american-tobacco" source="Orion">British American Tobacco</keyword>, Reynolds American is the parent company of the American Snuff Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which produces the globally popular Newport and Camel cigarettes. Newport is one of the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871779/">leading menthol cigarette brands</a> in the country.Though not legally obligated to, Reynolds American compiles an annual list of political contributions across federal- and state-level <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword>.The company's list of contributions is not perfect — the document contains some misspellings and at least once mixed up a candidate's party affiliation. Reynolds American's document states it made a campaign contribution to New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, but Grisham's office told Insider the governor received no such contribution, which state campaign finance filings support.But the data provides a glimpse into how the nation's second-largest tobacco company is attempting to broadly influence lawmakers and otherwise participate in low-profile elections that may nevertheless have notable policy implications for companies that market smoking products. Reynolds American favored conservatives in its political giving, with more than 80% of its 2021 contributions — more than $5 million — going to Republican candidates and committees. Democrats and Democrat-aligned committees, however, received less than $700,000 altogether from Reynolds American.Reynolds American did not respond to Insider's several requests for comment.But Reynolds American, in a <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/3zg3cmh1wlag/6CDaZvyWzvbExa9BEBQkgi/aec625801ac0f9fc2748608abf9506c9/Political_Contribution_Policy_Disclosure_April_2021_Final.pdf">posting on its website,</a> explained its political donations are "consistent with the interests of their businesses" and guiding principles and beliefs. Reynolds American says it considers several factors when donating to a politician, including geography and whether a politician serves on committees overlapping with the <keyword id="13115232" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tobacco-industry" source="Orion">tobacco industry</keyword>'s interests."Contributions must be lawful, and in the interests of the organization rather than the individual interests of any employee, officer, or director," the website says. "All proposed corporate contributions go through a review process to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to determine that they are in the best interests of the RAI companies."Insider reached out to more than 25 of the candidates who received money from Reynolds American, but none were willing to speak on the record about their Reynolds American-related contributions.<h2>Much at stake for Big Tobacco</h2>In <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-commits-evidence-based-actions-aimed-saving-lives-and-preventing-future-generations-smokers">2021, the FDA announced</a> its intention to prevent "future generations of smokers" by banning menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and other similar products. And recently, in <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-proposes-rules-prohibiting-menthol-cigarettes-and-flavored-cigars-prevent-youth-initiation">April 2022</a>, the FDA proposed a set of rules and product standards that would ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from hitting the shelves."The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit," said Xavier Becerra, the Health and Human Services secretary.Tobacco companies have not sat idle. Reynolds American alone has spent $2.56 million to lobby the federal government in 2021 and is on pace to spend $2.8 million in lobbying, according to federal congressional lobbying data compiled by nonpartisan research organization <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2021&amp;id=D000067317">OpenSecrets</a>.Cathy Callaway, the senior director of prevention for the <keyword id="13995148" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-cancer-society-cancer-action-network" source="Orion">American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network</keyword>'s state and local campaigns team, told Insider that the company's focus on Washington, DC, best exemplifies the organization's grip on the federal government."The DC numbers, to me, speaks to the investments they're making in Congress, probably around FDA regulation of tobacco products and certainly the recent rule that was proposed by FDA to end the sale of, or to prohibit menthol and flavored cigars." <div type="image" title="Ashley Moody and Ron DeSantis" height="1437" width="2875" msid="91710141" hostid="261"></div>There's also plenty of tobacco-related action at the state level.Matt Myers, the president of the <keyword id="13995149" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="campaign-for-tobacco-free-kids" source="Orion">Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids</keyword>, told Insider that many of the states where Reynolds American is contributing political money to are ones that have recently introduced or are discussing restrictions on tobacco products.While Reynolds American and its parent company, British American Tobacco, have both pledged to reduce "the <a href="https://www.reynoldsamerican.com/about-us/our-ethos">health impact of our business</a>" and cut down on <a href="https://www.bat.com/group/sites/UK__9D9KCY.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO9DEM4L#">combustible products,</a> they also fight against lawmakers trying to codify anti-tobacco and vaping measures, he said."Reynolds claims that it's no longer opposing tobacco control measures because it too supports a smoke-free future, but its political giving tells a completely different story," Myers said. "Its giving is directed towards individuals and places that in recent years have been considering restrictions on menthol cigarettes."In late 2020, California lawmakers agreed to institute a ban on flavored tobacco products with Senate Bill 793. Tobacco companies, including Reynolds American and affiliates, have since donated more than $20 million dollars to the <a href="https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1431407&amp;session=2021&amp;view=received">California Coalition for Fairness,</a> which opposes the legislature's decision and succeeded in getting the issue of flavored tobacco onto the ballot for the 2022 midterm elections. This delayed the implementation of the California legislature's law.In addition to donating to the coalition, Reynolds American's political spending document reveals extensive contributions to the campaigns of individual lawmakers across California, donating $161,500 to the candidates in 2021 alone, more than two-thirds of which went to Republican candidates. In all, Reynolds American donated to 34 candidates in California in 2021. That's 28%, or more than a quarter, of all of the seats in the state legislature.Both Myers and Callaway told Insider that Reynolds American has historically been a supporter of tobacco "preemption" laws, or working with state governments to pass legislation making it harder for local communities from implementing their own tobacco control legislation. Florida — Reynolds American's second most popular target for political contributions in 2021, according to its own data — is an example of a state that <a href="https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=71450&amp;">passed legislation in 2021</a> preventing local communities from changing the minimum age of using and possessing tobacco as well as regulating the marketing and sale of the product.Florida Gov. <keyword id="11913103" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ron-desantis" source="Orion">Ron DeSantis</keyword> received $25,000 from Reynolds American in March 2021, just two months before signing it into law in May.Then, seven months later, DeSantis received an additional $25,000 from the tobacco giant. The company also donated $50,000 to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's campaign in several increments in late 2021 and early 2022.Despite assurances from the company that it's moving away from combustible tobacco products, Myers said the company's political spending is simply "business as usual.""They've always used giving to prevent meaningful tobacco control legislation from passing, and this demonstrates that there has been no decrease in that whatsoever," he said.

How an American tobacco giant is quietly investing big money in hundreds of political races across the nation

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Officials in Camden County, Missouri are refusing to cooperate with the ATF, local reports said.</li><li>The ATF asked for the zoning information of people applying to open new gun stores, per <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-04-08/a-missouri-county-wont-work-with-the-atf-claiming-the-federal-agency-is-unconstitutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KCUR 89.3</a>.</li></ul>Missouri officials in one county have refused to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, claiming that the government agency is unconstitutional. Six top elected officials in Camden County signed a letter to the ATF saying as much, according to the NPR affiliate <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-04-08/a-missouri-county-wont-work-with-the-atf-claiming-the-federal-agency-is-unconstitutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KCUR 89.3</a>. "Under the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine, Camden County was the first county in Missouri, and possibly in the country, to pass an ordinance prohibiting any county employee from assisting your unconstitutional agency in violating the rights of our citizens," Ike Skelton, the county's presiding commissioner, said in the letter. The population of the county is roughly 43,700, according to the latest Census <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/camdencountymissouri">figures</a>. The officials cited the state's Second Amendment Preservation Act as grounds to refuse to cooperate, KCUR reported. Last month, a <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/07/federal-judge-rules-missouris-second-amendment-preservation-act-unconstitutional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal judge struck down the 2021 law</a>, which prohibited local police from enforcing federal gun laws, calling it "invalid, null, void, and of no effect."Two of Skelton's colleagues — Jeff Green, a Camden County attorney, and Tony Helms, the county sheriff — and Kendra Hicks, the county treasurer, also signed the letter, KCUR reported.Skelton, Helms, and Hicks did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Sunday. Skelton told KCUR he and his fellow officials were in "lockstep with this thought process.""Any and all federal firearms laws, so-called laws, in my opinion, and many others' opinion, are unconstitutional," Skelton told KCUR.The ATF was attempting to get zoning information to process applications for four individuals trying to open gun shops in the county, the outlet reported. John Ham, the public-information officer for the ATF's Kansas City Field Division, told KCUR that the bureau is trying to help civilians open gun stores, not prevent them from doing so. "We use that information to put people in business, not to take people out of business," Ham told KCUR, adding that he had never seen a county refuse to provide such information, which is required to open new gun businesses. Ham did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. In a comment to Insider, Erik Longnecker, the public-affairs deputy chief of the ATF, said: "ATF will continue to follow federal law when issuing licenses, regulating the firearms industry, and protecting our communities from violent gun crime."

Missouri officials refuse to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, saying all federal 'so-called' gun laws are unconstitutional

<ul class="summary-list"><li>R.J. Reynolds was ordered to pay $9.75 million to the family of a woman who died two years ago.</li><li>A Florida <keyword id="11899413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jury" source="Orion">jury</keyword> ruled that the firm's cigarettes and nicotine addiction caused Carolyn Long's death.</li></ul>A Florida jury awarded the family of a woman $9.75 million after she died from respiratory disease caused by <keyword id="12427629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="smoking" source="Orion">smoking</keyword> cigarettes.<a href="https://blog.cvn.com/jury-awards-9.75m-at-trial-over-80-year-old-ex-smokers-death#:~:text=Tampa%2C%20FL%E2%80%94%20Jurors%20last%20week,verdict%20at%20trial%20against%20R.J.&amp;text=The%20Florida%2013th%20Circuit%20Court,Carolyn%20Long's%20death%20in%202020.">Courtroom View Network </a><a href="https://blog.cvn.com/jury-awards-9.75m-at-trial-over-80-year-old-ex-smokers-death#:~:text=Tampa%2C%20FL%E2%80%94%20Jurors%20last%20week,verdict%20at%20trial%20against%20R.J.&amp;text=The%20Florida%2013th%20Circuit%20Court,Carolyn%20Long's%20death%20in%202020.">(CVN)</a><a href="https://blog.cvn.com/jury-awards-9.75m-at-trial-over-80-year-old-ex-smokers-death#:~:text=Tampa%2C%20FL%E2%80%94%20Jurors%20last%20week,verdict%20at%20trial%20against%20R.J.&amp;text=The%20Florida%2013th%20Circuit%20Court,Carolyn%20Long's%20death%20in%202020."> reported on the news</a>. Carolyn Long was a regular smoker for decades, before quitting in 2002. In the late 1990s, however, she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which ultimately led to her death in 2020 at age 80.The lawyers representing Long's husband, John, told Insider that Long had an extremely difficult time trying to quit smoking over the years. "Despite trying literally everything she just couldn't quit," said Shane Newlands of Florida-based law firm Newlands and Clark.He added: "As we know now, nicotine rewires the brain in powerful ways when you start that young. The <keyword id="12372836" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tobacco" source="Orion">tobacco</keyword> companies knew this long before the public did and engineered cigarettes to be as addictive as possible." Long's husband told CVN that her illness and subsequent death were caused by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's conspiracy to conceal the truth about the dangers of smoking. R.J. Reynolds did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. According to CVN, Reynolds' false marketing kept Long hooked on cigarettes. Lawyers told the outlet that Long smoked about half a pack a day for decades, before switching to a different brand selling an "ultra light" variation to be healthier. In a statement to Insider, Newlands said the "light" cigarettes were marked as safer in the 70s and 80s. "We now know that was a lie," he said. The switch led to Long smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day, CVN reported. "That is the point of what the industry wanted. [They] don't want people to quit," lawyer Lee Clark, who is also representing Long's husband,said. Elliot Pedrosa of American law firm Jones Day who represented R.J. Reynolds contended that Long smoked out of choice, not addiction. "Mrs. Long smoked when she wanted to, where she wanted to, and when she wanted to quit, she did that, too," Pedrosa said. "Smoking didn't control Mrs. Long. Mrs. Long controlled her smoking," he added. But according to Newlands, the jury agreed Long was in fact addicted to cigarettes. "We're grateful that the jury listened so carefully to all the evidence and then placed a very significant value on what was a very significant loss for that family," Newlands said. According to CVN, jurors apportioned 60% of responsibility to Reynolds and 30% to Long. Philip Morris, a cigarette company, was apportioned 10% of the responsibility, although it was not a party at trial.Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cracker-barrel-payout-tennessee-man-chemical-solution-2022-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">Cracker Barrel was ordered to pay $9.4 million</a> to a man who was accidentally served toxic chemicals. But due to Tennessee laws, he is unlikely to receive the full amount, <a href="https://newschannel9.com/news/local/jury-awards-millions-to-tennessee-man-served-chemical-but-cracker-barrel-to-pay-much-less">per a local news outlet</a>.

Florida jury orders R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to pay $9.75 million to family of a woman who died from respiratory disease caused by smoking cigarettes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Highly processed foods are addictive by the same standards deeming tobacco addictive, a study says. </li><li>The authors say the label can push forward public health policy, destigmatize obesity, and save lives.</li></ul>Highly processed foods like packaged cookies and potato chips can be addictive — and that designation can support policies that improve Americans' health and even save lives, researchers argue in a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.16065">new paper in the journal Addiction</a>. While <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117959">some past research</a> has supported <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-you-cant-resist-pumpkin-spiced-products-according-to-expert-2021-10">the controversial concept of food addiction</a>, the study authors are the first to claim such addictions are possible using the scientific standards set for tobacco products.Labeling certain foods as addictive, the researchers say, can better hold manufacturers accountable and improve treatments for people who feel powerless against foods like doughnuts and french fries. "In tobacco, understanding these products were not just 'habit forming,' but truly addictive, motivated public health approaches that included the addition of warning labels, restricting of advertising to children, and economic incentives to avoid tobacco products," lead author <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/agearhar.html">Ashley Gearhardt</a> told Insider. "This led to one of the biggest public health victories in modern times and saved millions of lives," she said. "Given the widespread public health costs associated with highly processed foods, I would like to see similar approaches occur to change a food environment that is dominated by highly processed foods that pushes profits over health." <h2>Tobacco and junk foods have similar qualities </h2>To come to their conclusion, Gearhardt, a psychologist who directs the University of Michigan's <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/fastlab">Food and Addiction Science and Treatment Lab</a>, and her co-author <a href="https://fbri.vtc.vt.edu/people-directory/primary-faculty/difeliceantonio.html">Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, </a>an appetitive neuroscientist at Virginia Tech, looked at the criteria the US Surgeon General used to identify cigarettes as addictive in 1988: they cause compulsive use, lead to mood-altering effects, and are highly reinforcing.The researchers also included "can trigger intense cravings" as a fourth criterion, based on the past few decades of addiction research. <a href="https://fbri.vtc.vt.edu/people-directory/primary-faculty/difeliceantonio.html"></a>Point by point, Gearhardt and DiFeliceantonio laid out evidence that they believe shows highly-processed foods, or HPFs, meet each benchmark.For example, they say the fact that most people continue to eat such foods even when faced with serious diet-related health consequences like <a href="https://www.insider.com/5-physical-signs-you-might-have-diabetes-according-to-expert-2022-4">diabetes</a> is evidence that HPFs can prompt compulsive use. As for HPFs' mood-altering effects, the study authors point to research showing that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21549138/">sweets lead to high ratings of "euphoria"</a> and that junk foods <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941202/">prompt a dopamine response</a> in the reward centers of the brain akin to nicotine."We see that people use tobacco products and HPFs for many of the same reasons — to reduce negative moods and to increase positive moods — and the degree to which these substances are mood altering is extremely similar," Gearhardt told Insider. The researchers say that HPFs are "reinforcing" because, among other reasons, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29331366/">people eat them</a> past the point of satiety. HPFs meet the "cravings" criterion in part because <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27397863/">research shows cravings</a> for them activate similar brain pathways as other addictive substances. "Of note, there is no biomarker in the brain that tells us whether something is addictive or not. Identifying that tobacco products were addictive really boiled down to these four criteria and these criteria have stood up to decades of scientific evaluation," Gearhardt said in a press release. "Highly processed foods meet every single one of these criteria." <h2>Eating disorder specialists say the term 'food addiction' promotes diet culture </h2>Whether sugary or greasy foods are addictive has long been debated in the medical community. A 2014 <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763414002140" target="_blank" title="Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763414002140" rel="noopener">review</a> of studies in the journal Neuroscience &amp; Biobehavioral Reviews found little evidence that the brain responds to food the same way it does to, say, opiates. But that doesn't mean some people can't experience addictive behaviors around certain foods, as evidence and <a href="https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/06/15/im-an-addict-a-food-addict">plenty of anecdotes show</a>. But labeling certain foods addictive can backfire, <a href="http://lisadubreuil.com/">Lisa Du Breuil</a>, a clinical social worker in Massachusetts who treats people with both substance use and eating disorders, told Insider. For one, it can pathologize pleasure. Seeking out highly-caloric foods is built into our DNA. "The reward pathway has evolved to make sure we're doing things that ensure our survival," like eating rich foods, having sex, and nurturing our babies, she said. Food also doesn't seem to meet another key characteristic of an addictive substance: tolerance, or needing more and more of it over time to achieve the same "high," nutritionist Tansey Boggon <a href="https://www.joyfuleatingnutrition.com/blog/debunking-diet-and-nutrition-myths/food-addiction-fact-or-fallacy/">wrote on her blog</a>. <a href="https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2018-11-16/sugar-is-addictive-bs-these-health-pros-say">Some experts, including Du Breuil,</a> also argue that a solution to addiction — abstinence — is at odds with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/intuitive-eating">intuitive eating</a>, which has been <a href="https://foodinsight.org/the-science-behind-intuitive-eating/#:~:text=The%20authors%20collected%20data%20online,eating%20and%20body%20image%20concerns.">shown to heal</a> an unhealthy relationship with food.If you have a history of dieting or forbidding certain foods, "you've been creating this false sense of scarcity, and when you stop doing that, food looses its 'addictive' nature," Du Breuil said. "I've seen it over and over." Du Breuil added the food addiction narrative can be perceived as fatphobic, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/dr-mike-says-lyme-patient-could-have-died-fat-bias-2022-1">weight stigma</a> can lead people in bigger bodies to overeat less healthy foods.<h2>Destigmatizing people who feel out of control around highly processed foods</h2>Gearhardt told Insider her work can help destigmatize people who feel out of control around highly processed foods, including those with obesity or binge eating disorder, "by calling out the role of HPFs and the food industry in creating these products." <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666314001196?casa_token=wfvZKaVJ2U8AAAAA:WEhc_vWJ3m9eltVfAJnsLLAcZdbdMyVLXMf8fG1kC_-TV0MkuNgsWpO_VFken-snvDHLnp93Ig">Some research</a> does indeed show that the food-addiction model can reduce blame and fear around fatness. Ultimately, the study authors say denying highly processed foods' addictive nature will only delay action that could save lives — a mistake they don't want the US to repeat from the lost years before tobacco was deemed addictive. "Unlike smoking, we all need to eat," they wrote in the paper. "In the past 40 years, HPFs have become familiar substances that dominate the food environment, but we cannot lose the saliency of their potential to be addictive and harmful."

Highly processed foods like cookies and chips are addictive, much like tobacco, researchers argue

The rise and fall of e-cig startup Juul in the US, from Silicon Valley darling to a ban by the FDA

<ul><li><keyword id="12736930" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="altria" source="Orion">Altria</keyword> stock fell as much as 10% on Wednesday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA plans to ban <keyword id="14264066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="juul" source="Orion">Juul</keyword> <keyword id="12645697" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaping" source="Orion">vaping</keyword> products.</li><li>Altria paid $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in Juul in 2018 when the product was popular with teens.</li><li>The FDA required all US e-cigarette manufacturers to submit their products for review in 2020, and Juul didn't make the cut. </li></ul><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/mo-stock">Altria</a> stock tumbled as much as 10% on Wednesday after <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Ffda-to-order-juul-e-cigarettes-off-u-s-market-11655904689">The Wall Street Journal reported</a> that the FDA plans to ban Juul vaping products from the US market as early as today.Investors are selling Altria's stock because the cigarette maker <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/altria-considering-juul-investment-2018-11">purchased a 35% stake in Juul Labs for $12.8 billion</a> in 2018. Back then, the investment looked smart as Juul's fruity vaping flavors caught on with teens and led to a surge in vaping among young adults. But shortly after Altria's investment, flavored vape pods were banned from the US market and Juul saw a decline in sales. The e-cigarette company also faced scrutiny from regulators due to its marketing tactics that lured teenagers into picking up the habit of consuming nicotine.The FDA required all US e-cigarette manufactures to submit their products for review in 2020, and based on reporting from the WSJ, Juul didn't make the cut. Altria most recently valued its stake in Juul at $1.6 billion.Juul's market share of the US e-cigarette market has dropped to second place, behind Reynolds American's Vuse brand, according to the report. In 2021, the company saw net sales fall 11% to $1.3 billion while it recorded a net loss of $259 million, according to a disclosure to employees.But the blow to Altria and its investment in Juul could be a boon for other US tobacco manufacturers that are pivoting to e-cigarettes, including Reynolds and NJOY Holdings. British American Tobacco, which owns Reynolds, saw its stock fall 1% in Wednesday trades.Also putting pressure on the tobacco industry, serving as a double whammy for Altria, is the FDA's Tuesday <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-announces-plans-proposed-rule-reduce-addictiveness-cigarettes-and-other-combusted-tobacco">announcement</a> that it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-wants-nicotine-cigarettes-sold-us-reduced-2022-6">plans to lower the level of nicotine</a> in cigarettes, effectively making them less addictive.Reducing the addictiveness of cigarettes could lead to lower sales for tobacco companies over time, and for investors, it could alter the views of an industry that has historically proven defensive amid periods of economic stress.<div type="image" title="Altria stock price" height="537" width="624" msid="92395322" hostid="261" sizebytes="12458"></div>

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