Court Won’t Reconsider Ruling Against FDA

A federal appeals court has rejected a request by the Food and Drug Administration that it reconsider an August ruling that blocked the agency from regulating tobacco products, according to court records. The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., denied the request that the full court reconsider the ruling, which was a major victory for cigarette makers. FDA officials in Washington were unavailable for comment because government offices were closed in observance of Veterans Day. In August, a three-judge panel hearing the case for the appeals court ruled that the FDA overstepped its authority when it issued sweeping regulations in 1996 seeking to restrict the sale of tobacco products to minors and limit advertising and marketing by tobacco companies.