The warnings involve photos featuring lung and bladder cancers, blackened lungs, a large tumor on a woman’s neck and an underweight infant, among other images. The FDA proposes covering the top half of cigarette packs with the warnings, along with updated facts on smoking’s health risks. The proposals will not be finalized until next year.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, a tobacco company that spearheaded the earlier court battle, said it is studying the FDA’s proposals. “We firmly support public awareness of the harms of smoking cigarettes, but the manner in which those messages are delivered to the public cannot run afoul of the First Amendment protections that apply to all speakers, including cigarette manufacturers,” said Neassa Hollon, a company spokesperson.
The industry is likely to challenge the proposals in court yet again, Bonnie Herzog, managing director of equity research with Wells Fargo, told The New York Times.
Click here to learn how tobacco companies successfully struck down the FDA’s graphic proposals from 2010.
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