What makes the award significant is that it is the first time cigarette companies have lost such a judgment for someone whose smoking began after the Surgeon General's warning began appearing on cigarette packages. As hard as it is to side with tobacco companies, the judgment sounds a clear warning that users of products which can cause harm will not be held responsible for the damage those products ultimately do. It is inconceivable that anyone in America who started smoking after the Surgeon General's warning became a mandatory part of the cigarette package can say they were misled about the safety of cigarette smoking. The concept of personal responsibility gets talked about by a few politicians, but when there is money at stake, the responsibility becomes corporate. Those who opt to smoke because they think it's cool or like the taste do so with the knowledge that they have greatly increased the odds for a multitude of health problems.
Smoking is a matter of personal choice.
The rules against smoking in public places are designed to protect others from the ramifications of the smokers' choice. But when a smoker comes down with lung cancer after 30 years of ignoring the Surgeon General's warning, the fault rests not with Big Tobacco, but with the smoker. If there was ever any doubt that I'm getting old, it was erased the other evening after tossing a baseball with my kids. They said it was downhill after 40, now I believe it. In fact, there's an entire generation of us aging baby boomers who consume increasing amounts of medical services.