smoking

Ruling on Cigarette Warnings Stirs Free Speech Debate

A court ruling Monday stubbed out an FDA attempt to plaster extremely graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. The decision has reignited a debate over which right trumps which: The right of the government to warn Americans about the health risks of smoking, or the First Amendment rights of tobacco companies.

Do Smokers Know How Much They Spend on Cigarettes?

Cigarettes have only gotten more and more expensive over the past decade as nearly every state has pushed taxes upward. But the habit hits our wallets in a series of small purchases: Are smokers really aware of quite how much they spend a year? We hit the streets of Manhattan to ask.

Will Spray Nicotine Be the Next Quit-Smoking Fad?

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International has just bought the rights to a new technology for delivering nicotine in a aerosol spray. The upside: Nicotine addicts get their fix without all the toxins associated with smoking. The downside: It'll be at least three years before it hits the market.

A Judge Snuffs Out New York City's Gruesome Antismoking Ads

A New York City health code regulation set to go into effect on Jan. 1 would have added some disturbing images to the Big Apple's glittering background of advertising: Hideously accurate ads depicting the results of smoking. But a federal judge this week killed the city's anti-smoking campaign before it could begin.

Big Tobacco's Courtroom Winning Streak Ends in Florida

The industry just lost an $80 million verdict to a smoker's daughter. After losing about a dozen earlier cases, tobacco had won the eight decisions right before this one, suggesting that it had figured out how to win. But the latest plaintiff victory dispels that notion.

Life Expectancy: The U.S. Falls Short, Despite High Spending

A new study from Columbia University finds that the reasons America is lagging other countries aren't the commonly cited obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities and homicide. Rather, the problem has been poor health care, or rather, a poor health care system.

New Novartis Lung Disease Drug Beats GSK's Advair in Study

Shares of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis were up about 1.5% in morning trading Monday following its announcement over the weekend that its Onbrez Breezhaler was found to be more effective at treating lung disease than a standard medicine from GlaxoSmithKline.

FDA Sends Warning Letters to Electronic Cigarette Makers

The FDA issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors, saying the products are being marketed illegally as safer alternatives to smoking and even as smoking-cessation aids. The agency says they must seek FDA approval in order to continue making those claims.

Tobacco Taxes Rise Globally, But Do They Work?

In an effort to reduce smoking, governments worldwide are raising their tobacco taxes: In New York City, a pack of cigarettes now costs more than $10. But do higher taxes, which mean higher prices, actually deter smokers?

Got a Light? New Rules Won't Snuff Out 'Light' Cigarettes

In an attempt to dispel the myth that some cigarettes are less harmful than others, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has prohibited tobacco companies from labeling cigarettes as "light" or "ultra light." But companies can get around these new rules with well-established color coding.

Legal Briefing: Your Name on a Petition Isn't Private

Supreme Court Justices challenged arguments from lawyers trying to keep private signatures on a petition to repeal a Washington domestic-partners law. Also in this roundup of legal news: The first genetic discrimination suit and Wal-Mart's settlement of wage charges.

Voters Support a $1 Increase in Cigarette Tax

A new nationwide poll finds that two-thirds of U.S. voters support a $1 increase in tobacco taxes per pack. The tax could raise more than $9.1 billion in new annual revenue for states, says the report released by a coalition of public health organizations claims.