Smoker sues tobacco firm for tainting teeth

BEIJING: A Beijing-based law professor has dragged a tobacco company and one of its sales agent to court, accusing them of producing or selling cigarettes, which turned his teeth yellow.

Prof Liu Shengjiang, 35, with the Capital University of Economics and Business, started smoking 15 years ago and now smokes on an average two packs of cigarette per day. Liu said smoking has affected his health and tainted his teeth.

Liu said he was addicted to 'Nanjing' brand cigarette produced by Nanjing Cigarette Factory in east China's Jiangsu Province. He has accused the factory of "failing to give a clear indication of the harm of smoking".

"The producer only said 'smoking is harmful' on its package, but we consumers don't know what harm it will cause to us," Liu said.

"If there were more specific warnings, a lot of potential consumers will stay away from smoking," he was quoted as saying by the Beijing News.

Liu demanded a written apology and 350 yuan ($45) as compensation from the factory and Guohua Department Store, from where he purchased a pack of cigarette.

But an attorney representing the defendant said it could not be proved 'Nanjing' cigarette has directly resulted in Liu's teeth problems, saying drinking tea or soda water can also make teeth yellow.

"The packages as well as the warning on them are in line with the national packaging standards," the attorney said.

Liu said the students and teachers in his university had prepared more than 10 legal cases against the tobacco companies, urging them to adopt new packages to warn people against smoking.