SANTA FE, N.M. — The company behind a line of cigarettes touted as natural is being targeted in a class-action lawsuit.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that a Florida law firm filed the lawsuit this week against the maker of American Spirit cigarettes, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co., and its parent company, Reynolds American Inc.
The plaintiffs said the cigarette maker deliberately tries to mislead smokers into believing their products are healthier than other tobacco products.
According to documents, the lawsuit cites a Food and Drug Administration warning that the use of words such as “natural” or “additive free” in their advertising violates federal law.