Opinion ID: 2585
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Public Nuisance: EZTobacco and NCCigarettes

Text: Under New York law, a public nuisance is conduct or omissions which... endanger or injure the property, health, safety or comfort of a considerable number of persons, and is actionable by a governmental agency. Hoover v. Durkee, 622 N.Y.S.2d 348, 349, 212 A.D.2d 839, 840 (3d Dep't 1995) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). The City's public nuisance claims before us are predicated on New York Public Health Law § 1399- ll. In enacting that law, the legislature found that the shipment of cigarettes sold via the internet or by telephone or by mail order to residents of this state poses a serious threat to public health, safety, and welfare, to the funding of health care pursuant to the health care reform act of 2000, and to the economy of the state. N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 1399- ll, ch. 262, § 1. While the legislature clearly believes that the internet sale of cigarettes into New York poses a health risk to its residents, we have some reservation as to whether the legislature, in passing § 1399- ll, intended to displace common law nuisance claims with respect to this subject matter. Cf. City of New York v. Milhelm Attea & Bros., Inc., 550 F.Supp.2d 332, 350-51 (E.D.N.Y.2008). A violation of § 1399- ll is a crime and the law empowers the State Commissioner of Health to impose a civil fine. See id. § 1399- ll (5). It does not, however, provide for enforcement by another entity besides the State. Because this question implicates both the State's particular interest in protecting the public's health, as well as the public policy goals behind the Public Health Law, we find that certification of this question is also the most prudent path. See Sealed v. Sealed, 332 F.3d 51, 59 (2d Cir.2003). We therefore also sever the public nuisance claims, and certify them to the New York Court of Appeals, as set forth here.