U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein this week sharply questioned the validity of a proposed tobacco class-action suit on behalf of light-cigarette smokers, the New York Law Journal reported Sept. 14.

A group of smokers is seeking up to $200 billion in damages from the tobacco industry on behalf of all light-cigarette smokers in the U.S., saying the tobacco industry lied about the health risks of "light" and "mild" cigarettes. But Weinstein called the foundation of the class action into question, saying that every individual smoker may have had different motivations to smoke, and that reactions to industry actions also may have varied widely.

"How many people deep down knew they were getting something dangerous, but were willing to pay for the illusion it wasn't?" Weinstein said. "You can't get away from the contention of the defendants that every smoker is somewhat different."

The plaintiffs argued that research shows that 90 percent of light-cigarette smokers were attracted to the product by perceived health benefits. A tobacco-industry lawyer called that statistic "nonsense."