Philip Morris Ltd., the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, plans to file a joint lawsuit with an independent retailer in an effort to overturn Irelands ban on displaying tobacco products at stores.
Philip Morris' international operation will file the lawsuit with Maurice Timony, from Donegal in north-west Ireland, at Dublin's High Court on Oct. 6, it said in a Business Wire statement today.
The tobacco display ban, introduced in July, severely restricts the plaintiff's ability to provide trade and services, violating Irish and European laws, Philip Morris said. The Irish government introduced the ban as part of an effort to reduce tobacco use, which it says leads to almost 7,000 premature deaths a year. Ireland was the first European Union country to introduce a ban on smoking in public places in 2004.
"This legislation just serves to hand the tobacco business over to smugglers and counterfeiters," Anne Edwards, a spokeswoman for Philip Morris, said in the statement. "Ireland already has one of the worst illegal cigarette problems in the EU, and this ban is making it worse."
A spokeswoman for Irelands Department of Health did not immediately comment.
Under the legislation, tobacco products are not allowed to be displayed or advertised in stores. Retailers must ensure tobacco is stored out of view, in a closed container or dispenser that can only be opened by staff.
The plaintiffs are not seeking changes to legislation banning smoking in public places or tobacco advertising, Philip Morris said.
-- Bloomberg News
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