California Restaurant Association v. City of Los
Angeles
192 Cal. App. 3d 405, 237 Cal. Rptr. 415 (Cal. Ct. App. 1987)
Los Angeles enacted a city ordinance requiring that restaurants
and bars post a sign warning that consumption of alcoholic beverages
during pregnancy can cause birth defects. The state association of
restaurants challenged the validity of the law. The court concluded that
the ordinance was valid.
The ordinance contained the following finding:
"[R]ecent research indicates that alcohol consumption during
pregnancy may cause irreversible adverse effects on the development of a
fetus, resulting in birth defects including mental retardation, facial
abnormalities and other defects involving heart and bone structure."
(192 Cal. App. 3d at 407-08).