South Carolina has received $66,833,057.18 as its annual share from the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today. This settlement, initiated in 1998, involves agreements with the major U.S. cigarette manufacturers and includes contributions from around 50 additional tobacco companies.
The MSA, identified as the largest financial recovery in legal history, imposes significant restrictions on tobacco advertising and marketing. It also compensates states with annual payments indefinitely to support healthcare costs related to tobacco use, among other initiatives. In South Carolina, the funds are primarily allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically for the Medicaid program.
Alan Wilson’s office is responsible for enforcing tobacco statutes enacted by the MSA. The Attorney General collaborates with other states’ attorneys general to ensure the agreement’s provisions are enforced effectively.
Since the inception of the MSA, South Carolina has cumulatively received $2,051,394,888.35.
