T he collapse of a landmark anti-tobacco case in the uk has severely hit prospects of a us -style litigation against tobacco companies. While this had been successful in the us , where states had sued tobacco companies to recover the costs for treating smoking-related illnesses, the withdrawal of their damage claims in the high court by a group of lung cancer patients is perceived as a setback for the anti-tobacco lobby.

A group of 53 claimants had filed claims against Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher. But 46 of them withdrew following a ruling by the court that their claims had become