A Beijing smoker took a tobacco company and one of its sales agents to court on Monday, accusing them of manufacturing and selling cigarettes that turned his teeth yellow, the Beijing News reported yesterday.

Liu Shengjiang, a 35-year-old law professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business, told the Xuanwu District People's Court that he started smoking 15 years ago and now consumes an average of two packs a day. He said smoking had affected his health and colored his teeth.

Liu said he was addicted to the "Nanjing" brand produced by Nanjing Cigarette Factory based in Jiangsu Province. He accused the company of "failing to give a clear indication of the dangers of smoking".