A federal appeals court ruled [opinion, PDF] Tuesday against RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co.’s [corporate website] appeal citing that they waited too long. Reynolds appealed a decision [Winston-Salem Journal report] by a federal judge who rules that Reynolds was required to place two sets of corrective warning statements for its cigarette products on behalf of Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp., which Reynolds’ acquired in 2004. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [official website] ruled against Reynold’s request. US District Judge Kessler ruled in 2006 [opinion] that manufacturers had concealed the dangers of smoking for decades and had to run corrective statements. Reynolds filed an appeal in 2014 and claims it was uncertain about it’s responsibilities toward Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp. during that time. The court ruled that Reynolds’ untimeliness was unacceptable.

Cigarettes continue to be a serious health and legal issue around the world. In June 2015 a judge for the Quebec Superior Court awarded over $15 billion [JURIST report] in damages to Quebec smokers in a case against tobacco companies JTI-Macdonald, Imperial Tobacco, and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, making this the largest award for damages and the biggest class action lawsuit in Canada’s history. In May 2014 the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the dismissal [JURIST report] of a consolidated lawsuit brought against various tobacco companies. In August 2014 the World Health Organization called for strict regulation [JURIST report] of electronic cigarettes, including a ban on the usage of the devices in public places and advertising targeting minors. In June 2014 the Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand approved a new regulation [JURIST report] requiring packs of cigarettes in the country to be 85 percent covered with graphic health warnings.