A group of 17 demonstrators staged a rally Tuesday in front of Reynolds American Inc.’s downtown headquarters to call attention to tobacco-farm workers, who the protesters said are often underpaid and forced to live in poor conditions. Gail Phares of Raleigh, an organizer and advocate for immigrants’ rights, said that the U.S. must reform its immigration policies. “It’s time for us to recognize the labor of farm workers a ... Jump to full article >>

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Reynolds American Inc., the nation’s second-biggest cigarette company, reports its fourth-quarter and full-year results before the stock market opens Thursday. WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Continued growth in Reynolds American’s Pall Mall brand despite industrywide declines in the number of cigarettes being as taxes, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma all increase. The Winston-Salem, N.C., company has promot ... Jump to full article >>

A national study of state tobacco taxes, released Thursday, found that a lower rate on smokeless products could encourage users to switch from cigarettes. According to the National Center for Policy Analysis, six states — Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming — have a higher tax on smokeless tobacco than cigarettes. In North Carolina, smokeless tobacco is taxed at 10 percent of the wholesale price of a product. By comparison, t ... Jump to full article >>

Tobacco companies led by Altria Group Inc. and Reynolds American Inc. must get U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell products introduced or changed in the past four years, a move that may let the agency keep more addictive items off the market. Products that weren’t commercially available on Feb. 15, 2007, must be submitted for review, the FDA said yesterday in a statement. Items that aren’t “substantially equivalent” to tho ... Jump to full article >>

The three biggest tobacco companies in the U.S. have joined two groups representing New York City merchants to challenge a resolution by the New York City Board of Health forcing stores to place graphic anti- tobacco campaign signs where tobacco products are offered. Altria Group (MO) subsidiary Philip Morris USA Inc., Lorillard Inc. (LO), and Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) unit R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. are involved in the lawsuit with two indivi ... Jump to full article >>