Alan Landers, known as the face of Winston cigarettes in the 60’s and 70’s, died of lung cancer at his home in Lauderhill, Florida on Friday, according to his attorney Tim Howard. The former pitchman became an anti-smoking advocate after falling ill with various lung problem, including cancer.
The 68 year old turned on R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies 14 years ago in a legal battle, after signing on to a $145 billion class action lawsuit that was thrown out of by the Florida Supreme Court in 2006.
That didn’t deter Landers, who then filed a lawsuit on his own. He claimed that smoking cigarettes caused his medical issues, which included two lung cancers, tonsil cancer and emphysema. He was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation at the time of his death. His court trial was set to begin in April.
Shortly before his death, the ailing Landers told a Sun Sentinel reporter, “I told the truth: Eventually, smoking will kill you. It’s slow. But it’ll kill you.”
He is survived by a brother, Jack Levine.
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