Over at NEJM, my perspective piece on Tobacco and the First Amendment went online last night. In a pair of federal lawsuits, most of the tobacco industry is challenging the new FDA graphic warnings and package allocation rules, which together require the top 50% of the front and back of all cigarette packaged to bear striking images of tobacco’s health effects.
This is yet another example of powerful global corporations using the First Amendment to attack public health regulations. Australia has introduced plain packaging rules for cigarettes, which the companies are challenging under a bilateral investment treaty.
For the full story, plus a slide show of the graphic images, see the NEJM.
