Master Settlement Agreement

E4941

The Master Settlement Agreement is a landmark 1998 legal accord in which major U.S. tobacco companies agreed to pay billions of dollars to states and accept sweeping restrictions on cigarette advertising and marketing to resolve numerous lawsuits over smoking-related health costs.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf legal settlement
multistate settlement agreement
tobacco control measure
alsoKnownAs MSA
Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
bans brand-name sponsorship of concerts and sporting events with significant youth audiences
most tobacco brand merchandise
use of cartoon characters in cigarette advertising
country United States
createdEntity American Legacy Foundation
Truth Initiative
criticizedFor lack of strict requirements on how states spend settlement funds
establishes limits on tobacco industry lobbying of youth-targeted policies
estimatedTotalPayments over 200 billion U.S. dollars over first 25 years
excludesState Florida
Minnesota
Mississippi
Texas
funds national anti-smoking media campaigns
governs participating manufacturers of cigarettes
impact major increase in state revenues from tobacco companies
significant reduction in visible cigarette advertising in public spaces in the United States
includesMechanism adjustments to payments based on cigarette sales volume
non-participating manufacturer adjustment
includesParty Brown & Williamson
Lorillard Tobacco Company
Philip Morris USA
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
legalBasis settlement of multiple state lawsuits
numberOfOriginalStates 46
paymentDuration indefinite annual payments
paymentRecipients participating states and territories
primaryParties District of Columbia
U.S. states
U.S. territories
major U.S. tobacco companies
prohibits targeted marketing of cigarettes to youth
purpose reduce youth smoking
regulate tobacco advertising and marketing
resolve state lawsuits seeking reimbursement for smoking-related health care costs
relatedTo public health law in the United States
state tobacco control programs
requires disbanding of certain tobacco industry trade organizations
disclosure of certain internal tobacco industry documents
requiresPaymentOf billions of dollars annually
restricts billboard cigarette advertising
outdoor cigarette advertising
transit cigarette advertising
signedIn 1998
signedOn November 23, 1998

Referenced by (9)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Browne & Williamson
Lorillard Tobacco Company ("Master Settlement Agreement with U.S. states")
Philip Morris USA
involvedIn
Brown & Williamson ("Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement")
Philip Morris USA
partyTo
Master Settlement Agreement ("Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement")
alsoKnownAs
Truth Initiative
foundedAsResultOf
Brown & Williamson
roleIn
MSA
standsFor

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