Tobacco Control Issues

The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998 is the settlement between the tobacco industry and 46 U.S. states, including Pennsylvania.  Through the MSA, Pennsylvania will receive about $11 billion between 2000 to 2025.  Nationwide, states will receive a total of approximately $206 billion.
 
Pennsylvania's General Assembly signed a law in 2001 to allocate the MSA funds as follows:

• Insurance for uninsured adults = 30 percent
• Health-related research = 19 percent
• Home and community-based care for seniors = 13 percent
• Tobacco prevention and cessation = 12 percent
• Hospital charity care = 10 percent
• Prescription drug assistance for seniors (PACENET) = 8 percent
• Endowment for future health care programming = 8 percent

 
Over the past several years, however, legislators have shifted much of this money away from tobacco prevention and cessation to fund other projects.
In July 2010, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed a statewide budget that continued to reduce tobacco prevention and cessation program funding by 45 percent.  This substantial decrease has reduced the amount of programs offered to youth and communities.
 
More about comprehensive tobacco prevention & cessation programs...