A federal law that bans tobacco sponsorship, restricts advertising and requires large warnings on cigarette packs is unconstitutional, lawyers for Canada's three largest tobacco companies argued Monday. Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. and JTI-Macdonald Corp. began five days of hearings on an appeal of a Quebec Superior Court decision upholding the 1997 federal Tobacco Act. The companies argued the law which prohibits lifestyle advertising effectively constitutes a total ban on advertising, something the Supreme Court of Canada ruled was unconstitutional in 1995. ...

U.S. cigarette makers adapted their advertising and internal communications as safety concerns grew and legal ways to promote their products were restricted, a marketing expert testified for the government on Wednesday. ...

Reversing an earlier decision, a Minnesota judge granted class-action status to a consumer protection lawsuit brought by a group of smokers against Altria Group Inc.'s (MO) Philip Morris USA. ...

A six-person jury found a local bar not guilty yesterday of violating Lexington's controversial smoking ban. Beaumont Courtyard Bar & Grille was the first Lexington restaurant to take its citation under the ban to a jury. Many bar and restaurant owners have said the outcome of the first jury trial would influence future levels of compliance. ...

One of the world's biggest tobacco companies has caused a furore by using the Maori name in a brand of cigarettes. Tobacco giant Philip Morris produces the l and M Maori mix brand overseas and now there are calls for them to be withdrawn. ...

The city of Roswell has filed a second motion to dismiss the Citizens’ Rights Committee lawsuit against the city delaying the temporary injunction hearing that was slated to be heard before Friday. The CRC filed the lawsuit against the city Aug. 10 stating the Smoke-Free Air Act of 2004 is hurting some businesses and may cause them to shut down. ...

The long-standing fight between British Columbia and three tobacco companies moved to the judicial big leagues Thursday after the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the companies. The nation's highest court agreed to hear an appeal of B.C. legislation known as the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act. ...

More than 3,000 nonsmokers may soon join the thousands of smokers who are suing cigarette makers, but they will have two major advantages over smokers. First, they will not have to prove that tobacco smoke causes many diseases. Second, they clearly share none of blame for their injuries. ...

Could eating in a smoky restaurant precipitate an acute myocardial infarction in a non-smoker? As unlikely as this sounds, a growing body of scientific data suggests that this is possible. In this context, the results of the observational study in Helena, MT are provocative: hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction declined by about 40% during the six months in which a comprehensive local ordinance on clean air was in effect, and rebounded after the ordinance was suspended. ...

LEESBURG - Thousands of teenagers in Lake County are sneaking cigarettes, a first step toward a lifelong habit that can kill them. They think it's cool. Some adults think it's cute. Everyone experiments with tobacco, they say. ...