Monumental Tobacco Litigation Creates Smoking Cessation Trust for Louisiana Smokers Looking to Quit

In late 2011, HHK partner Russ Herman helped finalize the 14-year-old class action lawsuit, Scott v. American Tobacco Company, with a judgment that ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide, 10-year smoking cessation program benefiting more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers who are members of the plaintiff class (the “Scott Class”). The judgment created a court-established and court-supervised smoking cessation program to benefit Louisiana residents who began their smoking habit before September 1, 1988. Since the judgment, the defendant tobacco companies have deposited the funds with the Court to create the Smoking Cessation Trust (“SCT”).

SCT will arrange for all members of the Scott Class to receive any of the following cessation services at no cost: cessation medications, individual / group cessation counseling, telephone quit-line support, and/or Intensive cessation support services. Evidence suggests that utilizing these cessation services will increase the success rate for quitting smoking.

All Louisiana residents who began smoking prior to September 1, 1988 who wish to quit smoking cigarettes are encouraged to apply for Scott Class membership by visiting this website: https://www.smokingcessationtrust.org/Account/Register.aspx#.UmGCiBalVTE