Tobacco Center Initiatives

The NAAG Center for Tobacco and Public Health (Tobacco Center) is committed to providing legal counsel and representation to the attorneys general as they regulate the sale of tobacco and nicotine products in their states and enforce the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and related laws, regulations, and agreements.  

Tobacco and the Master Settlement Agreement

The MSA is a historic, landmark agreement that has greatly contributed to the decreased smoking rate among Americans. The MSA’s purpose is to reduce smoking in the U.S., especially among youth. Learn more about the MSA. 

Legal Representation, Subject Matter Expertise, and Training

The Tobacco Center is committed to providing legal representation, training, educational resources, and subject matter expertise to attorney general staff and government lawyers regarding enforcement of the MSA and regulation of tobacco and nicotine products.   

The Tobacco Center has represented the Settling States in a multitude of cases, including: 

• Cases in which Tobacco Center counsel have represented the states as counsel of record in litigation to protect states’ interests under the MSA and tobacco laws they enforce, including bankruptcy cases. 
• Cases in which the Tobacco Center has provided legal support and coordination for the Settling States’ successful defense of over 20 lawsuits challenging the MSA and related statutes on constitutional grounds and antitrust preemption grounds. 

Partnerships

The Tobacco Center works closely with federal agencies engaged in tobacco regulation and public health organizations. Chief among these public health organizations is the Truth Initiative, America’s largest nonprofit public health organization committed to making tobacco use a thing of the past.