Here is the truth: Big Tobacco companies agreed for corrective statements as ordered by Judge Gladys Kessler.
Philip Morris USA Inc., Altria Group, Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (in its own capacity and as successor in interest to Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co., and American Tobacco Co.), and Lorillard Tobacco Company, and the United States and the Public Health Intervenors have finally agreed about the content of corrective statements ordered by court in 2006.
The agreement came with some strings attached. Tobacco companies are to be named instead of being just Defendant Tobacco Companies. From the health warnings cancer of uterus will be removed. On the other hand the number of Americans killed by second hand smoke will be stated as over 38,000 instead of originally ordered 3,000. This is due to inclusion of death from heart diseases that may be related to the tobacco smoke.
The agreement relates to the corrective statements in newspapers, television, websites, and cigarette pack onserts. The court order included one more channel, retail point-of-sale displays. This is not agreed however, as there are still appeals running against it.
Here you can read all ordered corrective statements text (before the changes proposed on 10th of December 2014).
