Thank You for Smoking

As I sit in a state that has just passed a no-tolerance policy on smoking, I had to smile a bit at the US Supreme Court upholding a lower court decision to throw out a $10.1 million judgment against Phillip Morris regarding their "light" cigarettes. They have another case on the upcoming docket involving a similar finding of nearly $80 million to the widow of a smoker. What kills me is the reluctance of people today to accept blame and responsibility. Phillip Morris did not force anyone to smoke their cigarettes, and it is a commonly accepted fact that smoking is harmful for your health. If you still wish to use their product, you do so at your own peril. This is akin to the people who sue McDonald's after spilling hot coffee on themselves, because McDonald's is responsible for the coffee being hot and thus burning them. You know going in that the coffee is hot and the cigarettes are bad for you, so you use the respective products at your own risk. Good to see the Supreme Court is starting to get it once again, and I hope to see the pending judgment thrown out as well. This simply highlights the absolute need for tort reform at all levels of the judiciary.