The Silbersky American-style
lawsuit claiming that Swedish Match failed to warn about the
risks associated with smoking is without merit. Bo Aulin, General
Counsel and Senior Vice-President of Swedish Match, speaking on
behalf of the Company, noted: "The failure in this case is
not Swedish Match’s, but rather Mr. Silbersky’s, in
failing to remember that Swedish Match was totally owned and
operated by the Swedish state, and cigarettes were sold at the
direction of the Swedish government, during the time period his
client claims to have begun smoking and during most of the time
she decided to continue to smoke".
Swedish Match operated under the
direction of the Swedish government, for the sole benefit of the
Swedish people and our government. The Swedish government in
doing so was implementing the societal decision to permit adults
to choose to use tobacco or not. The Swedish Government decided
that cigarettes should be sold by its own company. The Swedish
Government also decided what warning label and content disclosure
should be used (and where it should be placed) in order to inform
the public of the health risks of smoking cigarettes. The
Company, throughout its history, has always complied with the
rules established by the government.
These rules have been established
with the full knowledge by our society of the substantial health
risk associated with cigarette smoking, including the risk of
lung cancer. This information has been given wide public
attention for decades. As a result, our society has made the
decision that adults should be free to choose to smoke cigarettes
or not smoke cigarettes - use tobacco or not use tobacco. The
fact that the Government in the early 90’s decided to
transfer ownership to private interests, does not change
anything.
Common sense supports the
Rättshjälpsnämnden’s finding that claimant had no
justified interest in getting her case tried in denying Mr.
Silbersky’s request to have trial costs paid by the State.
Swedish Match believes that
today’s filing of an American-style lawsuit by the
anti-tobacco movement is thinly-veiled effort to use the Swedish
judicial system to achieve purely political goals. Bo Aulin
stated, "This case is not a legal case, but rather a
political issue."
"Mr. Silbersky should know
better than trying to bring out the worst of American excesses,
their out-of-control legal system, to our Swedish courts,"
said Bo Aulin.
For further information please
contact:
Bo Aulin, General Counsel and
Senior Vice President Tel:+46 8 658 03 64
Mobile:+46 70-558 03 64
Home:+46 8 768 45 22