Nassau County Marks 25 Years of Victory Against Tobacco Advertising

Nassau County recently celebrated a significant milestone—the 25th anniversary of a critical victory achieved by a local law firm, which effectively ended cigarette advertising. This legal triumph has resulted in billions allocated for healthcare workers and various anti-smoking programs, contributing to a notable drop in the number of young smokers.

The county executive, Bruce Blakeman, shared a statement on Wednesday recognizing the accomplishments of Garden City’s Sullivan Papine Law Firm and their success in the $25 billion settlement reached with Big Tobacco in 1998.

“Congress tried to tackle the smoking issue, and frankly, they struggled. But the lawyers—well, they really made a difference, and that’s something I take pride in,” remarked Bob Sullivan, one of the attorneys involved in securing the settlement.

Blakeman, who himself quit smoking about 35 years ago, noted that this settlement has funneled approximately $200 million into Nassau County, aiding health initiatives and addressing public concerns related to tobacco use.

“The funds from this settlement have made our county much healthier,” he expressed.

He also added, “There was a powerful motivation to file this lawsuit because so many people have suffered, been harmed, or lost their lives due to smoking.”

While the legal team feels they’ve extracted significant concessions from the tobacco companies, they’ve experienced some limitations. Specifically, they had to forfeit settlements tied to advertising restrictions that they initially considered highly beneficial.

Sullivan’s firm emphasized that past ad campaigns, especially those before the 1980s, glamorized smoking.

“Looking back, we might have been able to negotiate an even larger settlement if we hadn’t been so focused on stopping advertising. It’s hard to say how many lives we could have saved,” he concluded.