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 16, 2008
Temporary injunction issued to Minnesota bar in ‘theater night’ hearing
On May 15, a Scott County District Court Judge found the smoking patrons at the bar’s ‘improvisational theatrical performances’ did not meet the criteria to qualify for an exemption from the statewide smokefree legislation passed in 2007. Read more about the ruling. Read the injunction. PDF, 519 Kb
Our latest law synopsis is an overview of smoke-free workplace policies that help fulfill an employer’s legal obligation to provide a safe workplace and protect employee health, while reducing the employer’s legal risk.
» Workplace Smoking: Options for Employees and Legal Risks for Employers PDF, 1.6 Mb
Leslie Zellers & Samantha K. Graff April 2008
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.