New York Can’t Scare Smokers

A U.S. appeals court ruled that New York City couldn’t force tobacco retailers to display graphic anti-smoking signs. The opinion of the court affirmed a December 2010 ruling by a US District Judge in Manhattan that the city has overstepped its mandate because only the federal government has the right to impose such conditions on the promotion of cigarettes. Reuters sheds light on the anti-smoking displays:

"The three different signs, developed by the city's Health Department, graphically depicted the harmful effects smoking can have on the body. They bore messages such as 'smoking causes tooth decay' and listed the number of a city help line for assistance on how to quit."

"New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made fighting smoking a personal mission. In 2003, he pushed a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants that was met with protests, but has since become widely accepted."