Legal

State

Tobacco companies challenge New York City coupon ban (NY) – Associated Press. Tobacco companies and trade groups representing cigarette retailers filed suit to challenge a law passed last fall that set a minimum price of $10.50 for every pack of cigarettes sold in New York City and prohibited the use of coupons or other promotional discounts to lower that cost. The suit, filed in a federal court in Manhattan, asks the court to block parts of the law from taking effect in March.

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National

Viacom pushes to get anti-tobacco ads on MTV, BET – Associated Press. Viacom Inc. is arguing that, as part of their recent accord with the U.S. government, tobacco companies should spring for anti-tobacco advertisements on MTV, BET and other Viacom-owned stations popular with young and black people. In an amicus brief, Viacom urged U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler to reject the existing accord regarding the tobacco industry’s corrective statements, and direct the parties to create a new agreement that includes Viacom's stations as outlets for the advertisements.

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International

Attorneys General call on Trade Representative to preserve tobacco regulation – National Association of Attorneys General. In a letter released through the National Association of Attorneys General, the chief law enforcement officers of 47 states and territories are calling upon the United States Trade Representative to exclude tobacco and tobacco products from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an international trade agreement which is currently under negotiation. This would preserve the ability of federal, state and local governments to regulate tobacco products to reduce their use and protect the public’s health. To read the letter, click here.

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