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Class Action Certification Denied 

``In this case, Federal District Judge Paul A. Magnuson rejected the plaintiffs' application for class certification stating that 'the plaintiffs' complaint is riddled with individual questions that predominate over questions common to the class.' For example, Judge Magnuson noted that to recover, 'each plaintiff must establish an addiction to cigarettes. With a class of approximately 700,000 individuals, the assessment necessary to make such a finding would be impracticable and unmanageable and would certainly predominate over questions common to the class.' ``This federal court opinion mirrors Brown & Williamson's position that the facts involving each individual's smoking and health experiences are unique and should be treated as such.''

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