Tobacco industry activity in American Samoa

On November 20, 1998, the territory of American Samoa filed suit against Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, British American Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco Co., Liggett & Myers, Inc., the United States Tobacco Company, the Tobacco Institute, the Council for Tobacco Research, the Smokeless Tobacco Research Council and the public relations company Hill and Knowlton for conspiracy, depraved indifference, deceptive, anti-competitive and illegal acts, concealing the addictive nature of tobacco, creating and/or funding fraudulent "front" organizations, deliberately manipulating nicotine levels in cigarettes, promoting illegal cigarette sales to minors, and more.