California Healthline Looks at Recent Tobacco News
California Healthline highlights some of the recent smoking-related news in the following summaries.
- The Oregon Supreme Court last week refused to hear cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris' appeal of an $80-million verdict awarded to the family of a smoker who died of lung cancer, the Oregonian reports (Green, Oregonian, 12/27/02). In a 4-2 decision, the court refused to review the case, stating that "the court has considered the petition for review and orders that it be denied." Philip Morris officials said they would appeal the verdict to the U.S. Supreme Court (Levin, Los Angeles Times, 12/27/02).
- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) on Dec. 30 signed a law that bans smoking in most bars and restaurants in the city, the New York Times reports. The law, which takes effect March 30, does exempt some establishments, including cigar bars already in operation, bars with no employees except the owners, not-for-profit membership clubs with no employees and bars or health care facilities with enclosed smoking areas. Bloomberg said that the smoking ban was designed to protect bar and restaurant employees from secondhand smoke. He added, "It is the most important epidemic of our time. Each year the health department signs death certificates of 10,000 New Yorkers who died because of a tobacco-related cause; 1,000 of these people died because of exposure to secondhand smoke" (Cooper, New York Times, 12/31/02).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.