Danish smoker sues tobacco company

By CNN Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- A 53-year-old man from Denmark is suing Scandinavia's biggest tobacco company on charges that it failed to warn him about the dangers of smoking.

The man has been smoking cigarettes made by the Danish Scandinavian Tobacco Company -- which operates in more than 15 countries -- for nearly 35 years.

Speaking on behalf of his client, lawyer Anker Laden-Andersen said the plaintiff had failed to kick the habit even though he tried everything possible to quit smoking, including nicotine patches, hypnosis and other therapies.

"We want to know, what has been added to the tobacco, and if any hidden substances have been added to get smokers addicted," the lawyer said.

The man and Laden-Andersen have also called for the state to formally begin legal proceedings against the tobacco company.

It is not known whether the man is suffering from any smoking-related illnesses.

In a similar court case in Norway, Scandinavian Tobacco Company is being sued by a man who has been smoking for over 50 years and now suffers from cancer. The man says the tobacco company failed to warn customers about the dangers of smoking.

Scandinavian Tobacco Company has expressed confidence that it will be acquitted in both cases.

CNN.dk

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.