Categories:
· Tobacco control
International:
· Worldwide
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Philip Morris, retailer to fight Irish display ban |
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Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/,2009-10-28
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Philip Morris International, the New York tobacco company, and an Irish retailer plan a lawsuit to challenge Ireland's ban on display of tobacco products in retail stores, a law that went into effect July 1. Philip Morris and the owner of Timony News, Maurice Timony, said on Monday that they would file the suit on Tuesday with the High Court in Dublin. Because the law prohibits licensed tobacco sellers from displaying tobacco products, customers cannot see the wares, Philip Morris and Timony said in a statement. The law "severely restricts" the plaintiffs' "ability to provide trade and services, thus violating Irish constitutional law and [European Union] law," they said. Outside Ireland, they said, Iceland and some Canadian provinces have similar bans on tobacco displays. "We know from our experience in Iceland that a total ban on tobacco display does not work, is costly to implement and ineffective at reducing smoking levels," Philip Morris said in the statement.
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