Tobacco manufacturers in the US have received another three months until 6 Oct 2023, before potentially having to place graphic warnings on cigarette packs, reports the Winston-Salem Journal.

A U.S. District Court judge in Texas has approved the latest launch-date delay for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Philip Morris USA, ITG Brands LLC and Liggett Group LLC.
A coalition of anti-tobacco and public-health groups sued the Food and Drug Administration in October 2016, saying it “unlawfully withheld” or “unreasonably delayed” issuing its final rule, the report said.
It is at least the ninth judge-ordered delay for the FDA-required graphic warning labels, considering previously set implementation dates of 18 June 2021, 16 Oct 2021, 14 Jan 2022, 14 April 2022, 13 July 2022, October 2022, 9 Jan 2023, 9 April 2023, and most recently 8 July 2023.
“Pursuant to the court order, any obligation to comply with a deadline tied to the effective date is similarly postponed,” according to the FDA.
The graphic warnings are designed to cover the top half of the front and rear panels of packages, as well as at least 20 per cent of the top of advertisements.