A Florida jury has ordered US tobacco company Philip Morris to pay 300 million US dollars in damages to a former smoker suffering from severe emphysema.

Philip Morris has rejected the ruling and said it would file an appeal. In a statement, the company called the punitive damages "grossly excessive and a clear violation of constitutional and state law". In the past few years, about 8,000 US citizens have filed lawsuits against the tobacco companies they hold responsible for their addiction to smoking. In March, Philip Morris was ordered to pay the widow of a smoker who died of lung cancer 145 million dollars after a legal battle that lasted 10 years.

Photo: an Italian cigarette vending machine advising customers that 'Sei un idiota': you are an idiot. (Flickr / Hop-Frog)