Vermont - judge rules against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco..

March 12, 2010 - A Vermont judge on Thursday, March 11th found that some advertising claims made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. about its Eclipse brand were “deceptive and misleading.”

Vermont Superior Court Judge Dennis Pearson ruled that Winston-Salem-based Reynolds violated that state’s consumer protection laws by running ads between 2000 and 2007 claiming that certain products had reduced health risks.

Pearson’s ruling said Reynolds did not have scientific evidence to support claims that Eclipse cigarettes would reduce a smoker’s risk of developing cancer. According to the ruling, Reynolds stopped selling Eclipse products in the state in 2008.

A Vermont judge back on August 2008 ruled the state of Vermont can move forward in its lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co..

The suit was filed by Vermont’s attorney general in 2005.

Reference: Vermont judge rules against Reynolds Tobacco ads, The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area, 3/12/2010.