Key Points: In 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a landmark lawsuit against the U.S. tobacco manufacturers, under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act, a statute originally created to prosecute organized crime. On August 17, 2006, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler decided the case for the government, finding the tobacco manufacturers liable for racketeering. Judge Kessler's powerfully worded decision explains in extraordinary detail how cigarette manufacturers “marketed and sold their lethal product with zeal, with deception, and with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted.” Many believe that Judge Kessler's decision represents a crucial milestone in tobacco control that will reverberate around the world for years to come.

Learning Objectives: This panel presentation will provide an overview of the case, review the Judge's ruling and its importance to public health, and provide specific examples of how public health practitioners and advocates can use the Judge's findings in their work. Because the case will likely remain in litigation for several more years, the panel will also discuss important potential future developments for advocates to be aware of.

Benefits: This panel will enable the attendees to understand the present and future importance of the DOJ lawsuit to U.S. and global tobacco control and prevention. It will also provide them with the tools and skills to use the Judge's findings in their own work, to advance tobacco control at the state and local level.