Supreme Court Won’t Hear Graphic Warning Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to a federal requirement that cigarette packages and advertising include graphic images demonstrating the effects of smoking.

The nation’s top court declined to hear the case in a brief written order handed down Monday.

R.J. Reynolds appealed to the high court after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the warnings do not violate the First Amendment, the AP reports.

They include pictures of smoke-damaged lungs, feet blackened by diminished blood flow and a picture of a woman with an immense growth on her neck and the caption “WARNING: Smoking causes head and neck cancer.”

Nearly 120 countries worldwide have adopted more prominent, graphic warning labels. Studies from those countries suggest that image-based labels are more effective than text warnings at publicizing smoking risks and encouraging smokers to quit. The U.S. has not updated its labels since 1984.

It’s not clear when new labels might appear. Some legal claims remain, and the FDA has said it doesn’t plan to enforce any new requirements until at least December 2025.