Legal

Research

Analysis of legal and scientific issues in court challenges to graphic tobacco warnings
A legal analysis published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine outlines considerations that would lead to the FDA’s successfully withstanding legal challenges to the implementation of graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. The authors take the standpoint that the tobacco industry is likely to challenge any attempts at implementing graphic warnings, and notes that images should depict facts about the consequences of smoking and avoid any content that could be interpreted as opinions. It is also noted that FDA regulation is more likely to succeed if the agency is able to produce evidence that graphic warnings are more effective than text-based warnings in changing smoking behavior, lead to more accurate assessment of tobacco-related risks among consumers, or that graphic warnings are necessary to counter tobacco industry deception. Read more here.

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State

Coral Springs family awarded $37.5 million in suit against tobacco company (FL)
A jury has sentenced R.J. Reynolds to pay $37.5 million to the family of a Coral Springs, Florida woman who died in 1995 of lung cancer. During the 20-day trial, family attorneys argued Laura Grossman was fifteen years old when she was targeted by tobacco companies and was too young to understand the health risks associated with cigarette smoking. Tobacco company attorneys argued Laura Grossman knew the risks, as the brand she smoked had a health warning on the package. Despite the ruling in favor of Laura Grossman’s family, the family attorney expects R.J. Reynolds to appeal the tobacco lawsuit in the near future. Click here to read more.

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