[Intl-tobacco] Spanish smokers launch claim against Altadis (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Note date:

Spanish smokers launch claim against Altadis
Source: Reuters, Wednesday, 5/31/00

MADRID, May 31 (Reuters) - A group of more than 4,000 cancer sufferers
launched Spain's first class action lawsuit against the country's tobacco
industry on Wednesday, a lawyer involved in the suit said.

The claim was directed at Altadis -- a recently merged company combining
former Spanish tobacco monopoly Tabalacera and France's Seita -- its
distribution unit Logista and smaller Altadis unit CITA, said Jose Angel
Manoso.

He is one of four lawyers representing 4,339 smokers and ex-smokers who
have been treated for cancer of the larynx.

The lawyers presented the case on behalf of 16 associations of larynx
cancer sufferers in 16 different cities, Manoso told Reuters.

The claimants were seeking recognition from the companies that tobacco
causes cancer as well as payment of medical costs for physical and
psychological injury, he said.

Manoso did not provide estimates for how much the compensation might be
worth across Spain but in Barcelona, for example, a local association
representing sufferers was seeking 400 million pesetas ($2.23 million) to
buy an office plus 50 million pesetas a year to cover medical costs.

Stock market analysts have said the case was unlikely to succeed. Class
actions of this type are unusual in Spain and compensation cases tend to
drag on for many years. Even so, the publicity could be damaging for the
company, they say.

Shares in Altadis, the Spanish-French company formed last year by the
merger of Tabacalera and Seita, dropped two percent on Wednesday to 15.68
euros.

Until now there have been only a handful of unsuccessful individual claims
against tobacco companies in Spain.

A spokesman for Altadis said he could not comment on the case.

"We are waiting to see details of the claim before we can say anything,"
he said.

($1=179.10 Peseta)