WOW!!!! The states should have to return all the money to the Tobacco companies, except for the five percent which was used as promised.
First - the money belongs to smokers, not the companies, the setttlement included a provision to add 45cents per pack to be paid by smokers....the companies pay NOTHING.
Second - the so-called reporters of this article need to do their research. There are no strings attached to this money - the pecentages were "suggestions" of how much should be spent on what. The settlement was supposedly repayment of what the states had spent on treating sick smokers in the past, money that supposedly culdn't be spent on other things..such as balancing budgets. Of course that is all bogus - but that was the premise.
Finally.......Philip Morris is working nationwide to get all states to pass legislation to force companies that did NOT sign the agreement (including ones not even in existence when the settlement was made)to comply with the settlement
In exchange for getting the government to do the dirty work of hurting PM's competition, PM is giving them a pass and not fighting increased cigarette taxes.