Altria controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
Albuquerque sues eight tobacco companies over cigarette butt litter
Lawsuit filed
The City of Albuquerque filed a lawsuit against eight tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA, Altria Group, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Reynolds American, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, British American Tobacco P.L.C, Liggett Group and BSR Distributing, seeking to recover costs of cleaning up cigarette butts from streets, sidewalks, waterways, arroyos and public places. The city alleges the companies continue to produce non-biodegradable filters despite knowing they create waste.
Stated objective. to hold the companies accountable for litter involving cigarette butts and recoup cleanup costs
Source excerpt
The City of Albuquerque is suing eight tobacco companies to hold them accountable for litter involving cigarette butts.
The city attacked the companies for continuing to produce non-biodegradable filters, knowing the filters create the waste they have to clean up.
The city is suing Philip Morris USA, Inc.; Altria Group, Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Reynolds American, Inc.; Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc.; British American Tobacco P.L.C; Liggett Group, LLC; BSR Distributing, Inc. (Blue Sky Distributors).
2024
Branded plastic pollution study
Research published in Science Advances identified Altria as responsible for approximately 2% of recorded global branded plastic pollution by item count, placing it among the largest corporate contributors in the study.
2021
Harris County files lawsuit against JUUL
Lawsuit filed
The Harris County Attorney filed a lawsuit against JUUL and several company executives, alleging deceptive marketing of addictive products to young people. The lawsuit claims JUUL targeted younger consumers through social media and its “Make the Switch” campaign.
Source excerpt
Cigarette giant Altria is also included in the lawsuit.
HOUSTON – The Harris County Attorney has filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette company JUUL and several of the company’s executives “for the deliberate and deceptive marketing of its highly addictive and destructive products to young people.”
2020
FTC sues Altria and Juul over vaping deal
Lawsuit filed
The US Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative complaint against Altria and Juul, alleging that agreements surrounding Altria's acquisition of a 35% stake in Juul eliminated competition in the closed-system e-cigarette market and breached antitrust laws. Altria said it would defend the deal and disputed the FTC's view that the investment harmed competition.
Company response
Denial — Altria
Altria said it would defend the Juul deal.
Source excerpt
The US trade watchdog said Wednesday it had sued Altria and Juul over a USD 12.8 billion e-cigarette deal which allegedly breached antitrust laws.
Altria said it would defend the Juul deal.
"We believe that our investment in Juul does not harm competition and that the FTC misunderstood the facts,"
2019
Texas woman sues seven e-cigarette companies
Lawsuit filed
An unidentified Texas woman filed a $1 million lawsuit against Juul, Pax, Altria, Evolv Mamasan, Axiocore and Yogi E-liquid. She alleged that Juul's advertising drew her to vaping, that nicotine caused her addiction, and that products from Evolv, Mamasan and Yogi were followed by bronchitis and lipoid pneumonia; she blamed the companies for permanent lung damage and medical costs.
Source excerpt
An unidentified Texas woman has filed a lawsuit against Juul, Pax, Altria, Evolv Mamasan, Axiocore and Yogi E-liquid, KVUE reported.
She claims Juul's ads drew her to vaping, which she took up in March 2018 and blames the high dose nicotine for getting her addicted'. A year later, she switched to using products from Evolv, Mamasan and Yogi and developed bronchitis shortly after. Months later she was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia. She claims her permanent lung damage and medical costs are the fault of the seven vaping companies, whom she is suing for $1 million
2006
Federal findings on cigarette-risk and nicotine disclosures
A U.S. federal court found Philip Morris and other cigarette manufacturers liable for misleading the public about the dangers of smoking. The ruling also addressed manipulation of cigarette-smoke chemistry to increase nicotine-transfer efficiency and criticized the use of descriptors that could imply reduced risk.
2006
Civil-fraud litigation over light and low-tar cigarettes
Altria-related tobacco companies faced findings that marketing of light and low-tar cigarettes could mislead consumers into believing that those products were safer than conventional cigarettes.