Florida
A Florida law took effect July 1994. Under the law, the state can represent tobacco firms on behalf of all smokers on Medicaid rather than individual by individual and it can use statistics to show that smoking generally causes diseases. Tobacco companies are barred under the law from arguing that people have chosen to smoke despite knowing the risks. The tobacco companies can't raise questions about whether their brand contributed to smokers' illness: the law allows a marked share theory under which companies that dominate the market also bear the biggest liability. As of July 1994, Florida officials were preparing to file a suit against the tobacco companies seeking about $1.5 billion. (WSJ 7/8/94). In the first week of July 1994, Philip Morris Companies Inc. filed a pre-emptive constitutional challenge to the Florida state law (WSJ 7/8/94). Agency for Healthcare Administration, Tallahassee, FL.. is filing suit, for recovery of Medicaid expenses against tobacco companies, for the Florida Attorney General. General counsel in 1994 is Harold Lewis. The senior attorney in 1994 is Tim Howard (T. Howard 6/20/94). See Agency for Healthcare Administration, TTLA Almanac - Names.