[DougB]

Originally Posted by mickey100

Well said. The kid was 13 years old when he started smoking, and we all know cigarettes were heavily marketed to teens as being cool, sexy, and in earlier years as even offering health benefits! A thirteen year old isn't going to be able to sit and juggle the conflicting messages he is receiving about cigarettes and make an informed decision. And of course he quickly became hooked, i.e. addicted, which was the crux of the lawsuit. He died at age 36. How do you look at one's life and put a monetary amount on its worth, had he not smoked and lived another 50 years? The settlement was obviously designed to make a statement to the tobacco companies, and will certainly be appealed, but I hope the family still ends up with a good settlement.

I don't know the facts, but if he started smoking at 13, maybe he should be suing his parents.