Public Health Law Center - General News

Tobacco Company Threatens Suit Over Australia’s “Unconstitutional” Cigarette Law

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:02:01 +0000

British American Tobacco has vowed to sue over Australia’s cigarette plain packaging law if the legislation is enacted. On November 10, the Australian Senate passed the world’s first plain packaging law and the lower house of parliament still needs to vote on it. If approved, the law is set to take effect December 2012. The law will prohibit tobacco companies from displaying their logos on cigarette packages, and will require cigarettes to be sold in drab brown packs with prominent health warnings. British American Tobacco claims it is unconstitutional to remove trad

More than One Billion People Protected by Tobacco Control Policies

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:24:21 +0000

Dramatic headway has been made in global tobacco control since 2008, according to a new report just released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fifty-five percent of the world’s population is now covered by at least one of the WHO’s MPOWER suite of six effective anti-tobacco policies. The greatest gains were made in requiring large graphic health warnings on packages of tobacco. Bloomberg Philanthropies has helped fuel this progress through its six-year $375-million initiative to promote tobacco control interventions in 15 low-and middle-income nations that are

Wave of State Laws Preempting Local Nutrition-Related Legislation

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:00:18 +0000

Several state legislatures are passing laws that prohibit municipalities and other local governments from adopting regulations aimed at rising obesity and improving public health, such as requiring restaurants to provide nutritional information on menus or to eliminate trans fats from the foods they serve. Public health advocates worry that the new preemption laws – often supported by the restaurant industry -- will stall a movement among cities and counties that are establishing a range of policies and tools designed to reduce obesity among their residents.

FDA to Conduct Independent Review of Menthol Cigarettes

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:09:26 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration announced this week that it will conduct an independent review of research on the public health impact of menthol cigarettes. This decision to conduct more study on whether to outlaw menthol cigarettes disappointed many in the tobacco control community, since a blue ribbon scientific advisory committee, which was mandated to study the issue, already concluded in March that menthol cigarettes harm the public health.

CDC Names Decade’s Top 10 Public Health Achievements

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:08:12 +0000

Fighting tobacco use, controlling infectious diseases like AIDS and tuberculosis, improving motor vehicle safety, and reducing heart disease and death have been named by the CDC as among the 10 top public health achievements of the first decade of the 21^st century. Other achievements include improvements in vaccine-preventable diseases, better maternal and infant health, better cancer prevention, improved occupational safety and public safety preparedness, and aggressive steps that have led to fewer childhood lead poisonings. Still, much more needs to be done to prote

FDA Unveils Graphic New Cigarette Warning Labels

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:44:26 +0000

On June 21, the Food and Drug Administration announced nine new graphic warnings for cigarette packages – the most significant new labels in more than twenty-five years. The new warnings, which depict the negative health impact of cigarettes, are required to cover at least 50 percent of every pack of cigarettes sold in the U.S. by mid-2013. Manufacturers are required to place them on all cigarette packs, cartons and ads by no later than September 2012.

Use of smokeless tobacco products higher among blue-collar workers

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:48:33 +0000

Exposure to smokeless tobacco products has significant health risks, including stroke, and cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and pancreas. A recent study assessed whether workplace smoking restrictions led to increased use of smokeless tobacco products among workers in the United States.

Paternal smoking linked to daughters’ decreased reproductive lifespan

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:00:21 +0000

Menopause is a natural life event for all women, signaling the end of their reproductive lifespan. A new study has explored the relationship between a woman’s age at menopause and her parents’ smoking status.

Consortium Submits Comments to FDA on Including all Tobacco Products in Sampling Restrictions

admin — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:18:57 +0000

On May 20, the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium and Public Health Law and Policy filed comments with the Food and Drug Administration, asking it to amend its “Draft Guidance for Industry: Compliance with Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents.” The Guidance states that the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) does not restrict the distribution of free samples of cigars, little cigars, pipe tobacco and other “tobacco products.”

Consortium and partners file amicus brief in NYC POS graphic warning lawsuit

admin — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:02:09 +0000

On April 15, 2011, the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium and several other national public health partners filed an amicus curiae brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in support of New York City’s requirement that graphic warnings be posted in retail stores to warn consumers of the dangers of tobacco products. Our brief argues that the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act does not preempt, or prohibit, the City from having such a requirement.