WASHINGTON: The Justice Department disclosed Wednesday it wants to require the tobacco industry to admit publicly that smoking causes a multitude of medical problems, killing 1,200 Americans every day. The government proposed that a federal judge order the companies to say in advertisements that they lied to the public about the safety and dangers of smoking. “We falsely marketed low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain our profits,” one of the government's proposed statements begins. Philip Morris USA, maker of Marlboro, the nation's top-selling cigarette brand, and its parent company, Altria Group Inc., said the proposed statements go beyond factual and scientific information and that the Justice Department would compel the tobacco companies to admit wrongdoing under threat of contempt of court.
