The New York health department is proposing city tobacco retailers post signs with graphic health warnings, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun.

The signs, which would be the first of their kind in the country, would include health risk warnings and information on how to quit, said Sarah Perl, assistant commissioner of the city's Bureau of Tobacco Control. The required signage would be developed by the Health Department and may include graphic images to depict the adverse heath effects of tobacco products, such as cancer-ravaged throats and black lungs.
The city Board of Health will hold a public hearing on 30 July and plans to vote in September on the proposal. Officials expect opposition from many of the city's 12,000 tobacco retailers and the cigarette industry. (pi)