Israeli Challenge to Tobacco

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

                               Dow Jones Newswires -- June 4, 1998
                   Israel's Supreme Court Asked To Name
                   Tobacco Dangerous Drug

                   Dow Jones Newswires

                   JERUSALEM (AP)--Israeli doctors and former smokers
suffering from
                   lung cancer and heart disease asked the Supreme Court
on Thursday to
                   declare nicotine and tobacco dangerous drugs. 

                   Such a declaration could force the hand of the Health
Ministry to impose
                   new restrictions, such as barring the sale of
cigarettes to those under 18
                   and limiting imports. 

                   The petition was filed by the Israeli Medical
Association (IMI) and 15
                   people suffering from smoking-related diseases. 

                   Shlomo Erdman, a lawyer for IMI, said the high court
was the last resort
                   after parliament has failed to take action. "Because of
the economic
                   interests posed by the tobacco companies we see the
Knesset is not
                   dealing with the issue so we are turning to the court
to force the Health
                   Ministry to take action," he said. 

                   Citing medical research, Erdman said nicotine and
tobacco are no less
                   addictive than heroine or cocaine and must be declared
dangerous drugs. 
                   He cited a similar declaration about cigarettes and
addiction by the U.S. 
                   Surgeon General in 1988. 

                   Once such a classification is made, the Health Ministry
would be forced to
                   clamp down on the production and marketing of
cigarettes and other
                   tobacco products, Erdman said. One option would be to
reduce the
                   number of cigarettes sold in Israel. 
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