In US, 3 tobacco companies Philip Morris, Lorillard and R. J. Reynolds, and trade associations have challenged antismoking graphic images of diseased brains, lungs and teeth.
This tobacco group has filed a lawsuit in the Manhattan federal court against the city in an effort to remove the horrible posters from retailers.
New York City anti-smoking signs depicting a decaying tooth, diseased lungs and a damaged brain violate cigarette vendors’ free speech and should be removed, tobacco companies and retailers said in a lawsuit.
New York cigarette sellers face a $2000 fine if they fail to display at least one warning sign at the cash register or next to the cigarettes.
It is evident in research studies that putting warning signs where cigarettes were sold was one of the most effective ways to deter people from smoking and to discourage a new generation of smokers.
“By trying to suppress this educational campaign the tobacco industry is signaling its desire to keep kids in the dark” said the health department in a statement. The anti smoking campaign was necessary and Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made a smoke-free New York one of his major priorities, having banned smoking in bars and restaurants.
Source: Health Newstrack, India