District Court Delays Effective Date of Cigarette Package Graphic Warnings

This week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued an order postponing the effective date of the “Required Warnings for Cigarettes Packages and Advertisements” final rule from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The district court delayed implementation of the rule for an additional three months, until April 9, 2023.

Recall, the FDA issued its final rule in March 2020, establishing new graphic warning labels for cigarettes and tobacco products. The FDA’s rule was set to take effect June 18, 2021. However, the implementation of the rule has been delayed by court orders seven times.

Additional information from the FDA is available here.