Canada tobacco giants lose case

Canada's three largest tobacco companies have lost a challenge against new laws heavily restricting the marketing, advertising and sponsorship of cigarettes.

The companies - Imperial Tobacco, Rothmans Benson and Hedges, and Philip Morris - had argued that Canada's Tobacco Act was unconstitutional because it limited their rights to do business and sell a legal product.

But a judge at the Quebec Superior Court said the health risks posed by smoking justified putting labels on packages and restrictions on promoting cigarettes.

The decision comes a week after the European Union agreed to ban most forms of tobacco advertising.

Canada has some of the toughest regulations on tobacco promotion in the world.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service