Judgment is issued in first lawsuit in Poland against tobacco companies

The district court in Krakow ruled yesterday that Slawomir Lubicz is not entitled to zl. 10 million in compensation from tobacco companies for the death of his mother from lung cancer. Lubicz sued Philip Morris (Marlboro cigarettes) and the Radom-based cigarette producer Popularne, which made the cigarettes smoked by his mother. The court decided that Lubicz had not proved the connection between his mother's death and the tobacco concerns' activities. This is the first case against cigarette producers in Poland. Lubicz said he would appeal the decision. He says the verdict could not have been different because then it would become a precedent. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 4) E.B.