MO · 10-Q · 2026Q3 · Full report

Graphic Warning Label Litigation

ALTRIA GROUP, INC. · 2026-10-29 · Importance 34 · Surprise 42

The FDA’s March 2020 rule requires 11 graphic cigarette warnings, but its enforcement has been blocked or delayed through litigation. In August 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction, finding the FDA likely exceeded its statutory authority by requiring 11 warnings when it could require nine, and postponed the rule’s effective date pending further litigation. Separately, a federal court in Georgia vacated the rule in August 2025 over the FDA’s failure to disclose data timely, and the FDA appealed to the Eleventh Circuit in October 2025.