WASHINGTON - As part of its 12-year-old lawsuit against tobacco companies, the U.S. Department of Justice wants the industry to say they mislead Americans about smoking??s harmful effects, the Associated Press reports. The corrections would be made via an ad campaign paid for by the tobacco companies.

The agency has issued 14 "corrective statements" it wants companies to make. For example, one such statement reads: "A federal court is requiring tobacco companies to tell the truth about cigarette smoking. Here's the truth: ... Smoking kills 1,200 Americans. Every day."

Another statement starts with the following sentence: "We falsely marketed low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain our profits."

Philip Morris USA and its parent company, Altria Group Inc. indicated the companies would fight the department if it doesn??t back off from its proposals. Philip Morris added that the strategy would require an admission of guilt under a judge??s contempt of court threat.

"Such a proposal is unprecedented in our legal system and would violate basic constitutional and statutory standards," the company said in a statement.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler approved the Justice Department??s release of the statements. The judge also would like the tobacco industry to foot the bill for ad placement of the statements, but she has yet to rule on what those statements will say or where and for how long they must appear in public. In 2006, Kessler ruled that the industry had kept smoking dangers hidden.

Late last week, the judge had a meeting scheduled between tobacco companies and the agency. The industry has until March 3 to respond to the statements.