EON

Smoking can be a deadly habit, which some smokers learn the hard way.

Cindy Naugle is a 61-year-old garage manager in Florida. When Naugle started smoking in the 1960s, she did it to look more grown up, as many of the marketing campaigns of the era recommended. She was loyal to her favorite brand, Benson and Hedges, and claims that she never knew just how addictive and damaging smoking could be.

Having smoked since the age of 20, Naugle now suffers from emphysema, a condition that doctors have linked to her smoking habit. Naugle may have been in the dark regarding the reality of smoking, but Phillip Morris, the company that produces the brand, was not, Naugle argues. Naugle took her case to court, seeking punitive damages for fraud against the company.

In a devastating blow to the tobacco industry, Naugle won her case, receiving 30 million dollars, which is almost 90 percent of what she sought to recover. Th ruling is one of many in recent years against tobacco companies, which have lost eight out of ten recent cases. Phillip Morris objected to the ruling and may seek to challenge the decision based on specific proceedings of the case.