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Interesting point. Do you know if the Master Settlement Agreement requires people to stop smoking cigarettes, specifically, or does it broadly classify any usag

• mullingitover 7y ago
  The agreement doesn't require the states to do anything. They simply cash tobacco checks, nothing requires them to spend the money on tobacco harm mitigation. There's a recommended level of funding the CDC advises: no state funds prevention at that level.[1] >Over the years, the states have collected tremendous amounts of commercial tobacco revenue, but are spending little of it on tobacco prevention and cessation programs. According to A State-by-State Look at the 1998 Tobacco Settlement 19 Years Later, states will collect $27.5 billion from the MSA and taxes in Fiscal Year 2018, but will spend less than 3 percent of it on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. No state currently funds tobacco prevention at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 29 states and the District of Columbia spend less than 20 percent of the CDC recommendation. Thus the states are effectively partnered with the tobacco industry. [1] https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/commercial-tobacco-control/tobacco-control-litigation/master-settlement-agreement https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/commercial-toba...