Addiction Led to Smoker's Death: Jury

It's also the No. 1 cause of death in China: Cancer Society

(NEWSER) - Tobacco killed 6 million people worldwide last year and now ranks as the No. 1 cause of death in China, according to a report from the American Cancer Society and World Lung Federation. What's more, the groups say tobacco use may be responsible for 1 billion deaths this century if trends persist, reports Bloomberg . More»

So try to hold off for at least an hour

(NEWSER) - You probably already know that smoking is bad for you, but a new study shows that smoking first thing in the morning is apparently even worse. Among the 7,610 smokers studied—62% of whom had lung cancer—those who lit up within 30 minutes of waking were 79% more likely to have developed lung cancer than smokers who held off for an hour or more after waking, reports the BBC. More»

Landmark Missouri suit fails

(NEWSER) - It was a "case of David versus Goliath," as hospitals took on tobacco companies in Missouri, a hospital lawyer says—and Goliath won. A jury decided yesterday that tobacco companies aren't liable for money spent on patients with tobacco-related illnesses who can't pay their bills, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . The $455 million lawsuit, filed on behalf of dozens of hospitals who treat many destitute, non-paying patients, had taken 13 years to come to trial. More»

Jury finds RJ Reynolds 90% responsible for death

(NEWSER) - The daughter of a man who died of lung cancer after smoking for 60 years has been awarded $80 million by a Florida jury. The jury decided that tobacco giant RJ Reynolds was 90% responsible for the man's death at the age of 76, and ordered the company to pay $8 million in compensatory damages and $72 million in punitive damages, BusinessWeek reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Australians may be coughing up $20 for a pack of cigarettes if officials approve a new anti-smoking plan, the Age reports. The proposal, designed to cut Aussie smoking by a third, would ban all tobacco sponsorship and online sales, devote 95% of cigarette packaging to graphic health warnings, and tax packs—currently at $13.50—up to $16.35, and then $20.15. More»