Altria Loses Appeal of New York City Flavored-Tobacco Ban (2/27/13)

New York City's ban on the sale of flavored smokeless tobacco products anywhere -- except in tobacco bars -- will stay in effect, thanks to a court ruling earlier today.

Altria Group Inc. had launched a bid to get the 2009 law reversed on the grounds the ordinance is pre-empted by federal law. However, in a decision handed down this morning, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower-level court ruling rejecting the arguments made by two Altria units -- U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Brands, according to Bloomberg..

ARTICLE FEATURE: Bloomberg News