Improving Health Through the Power of Law
Improving Health Through the Power of Law
» The Verdict Is In presents highlights from the landmark opinion
March 26, 2008
Position Available - Staff Attorney
The Tobacco Law Center has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. For more information, click here.
May 1, 2008
Proposed Ontario law bans smoking in cars
This week, the Ontario government will introduce legislation banning smoking in cars when children are present. Several other Canadian provinces are already considering similar laws. Read about Ontario’s bill.
The latest edition of the Legal Update newsletter features key legal developments affecting the tobacco control community.
» Read the March/April issue of the Legal Update PDF, 929 Kb
Our latest law synopsis, There is No Constitutional Right to Smoke: 2008, is a revised and updated version of our 2005 publication.
» There is No Constitutional Right to Smoke: 2008 PDF, 1.4 Mb
Ten years ago, Minnesota reached an historic settlement with the tobacco industry. The landmark agreement opened the tobacco industry’s secret document vaults, exposing fifty years of deception. It created the first ban on cigarette marketing aimed at children. It brought down tobacco billboards and imposed the first bans on tobacco-branded merchandise and secret payments for using cigarettes in movies. It funded support for Minnesota smokers who want to quit. And it required the tobacco industry to pay the state of Minnesota $6.1 billion. The Surgeon General called it one of the greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century.
The Tobacco Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law played an instrumental role as a legal resource during the drafting and debate of Minnesota’s new statewide smoke-free law. The Freedom to Breathe legislation eliminates smoking in all indoor public places and indoor places of employment, including bars and restaurants.
» William Mitchell College of Law profiles the Tobacco Law Center
» Freedom to Breathe PDF, 45 Kb
A summary of the Freedom to Breathe Provisions in the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act
A fact sheet from the Minnesota Department of Health
The Tobacco Law Center works to improve tobacco control laws and policies at local, national, and international levels. Through research, policy development, and analysis, technical assistance and consulting, the center helps policymakers, nonprofit organizations, advocates, and health professionals address tobacco-related legal issues.