Tobacco firms must disclose additives

BOSTON -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a state law that requires tobacco companies to disclose the ingredients in their products.

The ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a decision by a federal judge who had said the law was unconstitutional because it would force companies to give away their trade secrets.

"This decision is a big public health victory," Attorney General Tom Reilly said.

The disclosure law was the first of its kind in the nation when it passed in 1996. But it has never been enforced in Massachusetts.