Late awakening
after the Americans, the French have followed suit. Recently, families of two lung cancer victims filed separate lawsuits against seita, the company that makes France's most famous brands of cigarettes. They have charged the company with inadequately warning consumers about the relation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. It is the first time that legal proceedings related to smoking have been initiated in the country.
"These are test cases,' said Francis Caballero, the lawyer representing both plaintiffs. "If we succeed, many many more people will sue the manufacturer.' Philippe Boucher, director of the national committee against smoking, which is sponsoring the lawsuits, said the legal actions were the beginning of a "revolt of the victims'. France, where cigarettes are as popular as cheese, has lagged behind the us, the uk and Canada in enacting laws to check smoking in public places. However, there is an increase in the awareness of ill-effects of smoking. Cigarette packages now come with the mandatory warning that smoking is "gravely harmful' to health and advertising of cigarettes has been banned.