#GreatAmericanSmokeout
Today, as they have done for 40+ years, the American Cancer Society is hosting the Great American Smokeout -- a day for people to learn about ways to help them quit smoking.
While reviewing court cases, we came across a related civil case from 1961 in which Martha Moore was suing tobacco giant R. J. Reynolds over the death of her husband, Rodney Moore. In the lawsuit, Mrs. Moore stated that her husband had started smoking at age 16 and was up to 2+ packs per day of Camel cigarettes by age 20.
In the lawsuit, Mrs. Moore stated that R. J. Reynolds claimed their cigarettes were “wholesome” and that smoking them “aided digestion,” “relieved fatigue,” and “restored bodily energy”; they used celebrity spokespersons to promote their product by asserting that smoking Camel cigarettes was “satisfying and relaxing”; they made advertisements that claimed “the smoking of cigarettes would not adversely affect nor impair the respiratory system and physical condition of athletes and outdoorsmen”; and targeted advertising to youth.
Of interest, Mrs. Moore was represented by several lawyers including noted attorney Melvin Belli.
There have been many lawsuits against tobacco companies over the years -- several recent cases being successful -- but Mrs. Moore’s case was one of the earliest lawsuits and it ended up being dismissed.
Included with this post is the complaint for this case. We have also included Mr. Moore’s death certificate, which can be found at the Arizona Department of Health Services, showing that he did indeed die from lung cancer at the very young age of 38.
To learn more about the Great American Smokeout, please visit this site.
Series: Civil Case Files, 1938 - ca. 2003. Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009. (National Archives Identifier 562761).