The court throws out Silbersky's lawsuit

[REMOVED GRAPHICS] PRESSRELEASE JUNE 4, 1997 THE COURT THROWS OUT SILBERSKY'S LAWSUIT The Stockholm District Court today dismissed Mr Leif Silbersky's attempt to use the Swedish judicial system for purely political purposes. Without issuing summons to Swedish Match the Court concludes in its dismissing decision that there are no legal grounds for the complaint. In the minutes the Court states that the Silbersky American-style lawsuit claiming that Swedish Match failed to warn about the risks associated with smoking is based on a clear misjudgment of the law. -The Courts refusal to allow itself to be used in Mr Silberskys anti-tobacco propaganda will strengthen the confidence for the Swedish judicial system, says Bo Aulin, General Counsel and Senior Vice President. -The failure in this case is not Swedish Match's, but rather Mr. Silbersky's, in failing to remember that Swedish Match was totally owned and operated by the Swedish state, and cigarettes were sold at the direction of the Swedish government, during the time period his client claims to have begun smoking and during most of the time she decided to continue to smoke, says Bo Aulin Swedish Match operated under the direction of the Swedish government, for the sole benefit of the Swedish people and our government. The Swedish government in doing so was implementing the societal decision to permit adults to choose to use tobacco or not. The Swedish Government decided that cigarettes should be sold by its own company. The Swedish Government also decided what warning label and content disclosure should be used (and where it should be placed) in order to inform the public of the health risks of smoking cigarettes. The Company, throughout its history, has always complied with the rules established by the government. These rules have been established with the full knowledge by our society of the substantial health risk associated with cigarette smoking, including the risk of lung cancer. This information has been given wide public attention for decades. As a result, our society has made the decision that adults should be free to choose to smoke cigarettes or not smoke cigarettes - use tobacco or not use tobacco. The fact that the Government in the early 90's decided to transfer ownership to private interests, does not change anything. -Mr Silbersky has successfully used a sad and regrettable individual case to gain wide media attention, but as a lawyer he should know better than trying to use the Swedish courts for political purposes, Bo Aulin, General Counsel and Senior Vice President, comments. For further information please contact: Bo Aulin, General Counsel and Senior Vice President. Phonenr: +46 658 03 64 Mobile: +46 70 558 03 64 Home: +46 8 768 45 22 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1997/06/04/19990301BIT00270/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1997/06/04/19990301BIT00270/bit0002.pdf