Tennessee received a payment totaling $146.1 million on Tuesday from the major tobacco companies that joined the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), bringing the state’s total payout amount from the settlement to $3.9 billion.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is protecting Tennessee kids from abusive corporate power, following in the footsteps of my distinguished predecessors,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement.
“For decades now, our office has worked hard to ensure that Big Tobacco colors inside the lines and pays for its past misconduct. This year, we are proud to deliver another $146 million to the State of Tennessee,” Skrmetti added.
Today, @AGTennessee Skrmetti announced that $146.1M has been received from major tobacco companies that joined the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
TN will continue to protect consumers from legal violations and deceptive marketing practices.
➡️https://t.co/JvgdUMm1IJ pic.twitter.com/gRlOLT7E88
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) April 23, 2024
On November 23, 1998, Tennessee and 51 other states and jurisdictions reached the historic multistate settlement – known as the MSA – with the four largest U.S. tobacco companies.
More than 50 tobacco companies have joined the MSA since it was created.
Under the terms of MSA, Tennessee and the 51 other states and U.S. territories receive annual payments, which help defray the cost of healthcare for smoking-related illnesses.
A maximum of $4.8 billion is projected to be paid to Tennessee through 2025, along with additional payments in perpetuity.
The MSA also contains significant public health protections for Tennesseans, including a multitude of restrictions related to advertising by tobacco companies.
The officer of the Tennessee Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the MSA and regulating tobacco companies that do business in the Volunteer State.
Since MSA was established, cigarette consumption among Americans has dropped significantly.
Between 1998 and 2019, U.S. cigarette consumption dropped by more than 50 percent and, during that same time period, regular smoking by high schoolers dropped from its near peak of 36.4 percent in 1997 to an all-time low of 6 percent in 2019, according to the National Association of Attorneys General.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Jonathan Skrmetti” by Tennessee Attorney General.
