Tobacco firms , including Altria and British American Tobacco ( BAT ) , will be allowed to advertise the dangerous health effects of smoking in newspapers and on prime - time television in the UK . The advertisements , which will begin on Sunday 26 November and which will cost Altria $ 100 m , are the subject of a court order and have been subject to legal disputes for over a decade . Altria stock has fallen 2.7% since the start of the year. In 1999 , the US Justice Department sued leading tobacco firms , all of which are now owned by Altria or BAT . In 2006 , a judge ordered the firms to make “ corrective statements ” and this decision is now being enforced .
Tobacco firms , including Altria and British American Tobacco ( BAT ) , will be allowed to advertise the dangerous health effects of smoking in newspapers and on prime - time television in the UK . The advertisements , which will begin on Sunday 26 November and which will cost Altria $ 100 m , are the subject of a court order and have been subject to legal disputes for over a decade . In 1999 , the US Justice Department sued leading tobacco firms , all of which are now owned by Altria or BAT . In 2006 , a judge ordered the firms to make “ corrective statements ” and this decision is now being enforced .