Arkansas has received $49.6 million in the latest annual payment from the tobacco industry as part of a 1998 settlement of a lawsuit against tobacco companies.
State Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said Wednesday that the money supports several programs, including tobacco cessation efforts, public health programs for minorities and older Arkansans, increased Medicaid coverage for pregnant women and increased hospital benefits for some Medicaid beneficiaries and for medical and agricultural research.
Arkansas was among 46 states that sued tobacco companies in the 1990s for both restraints against the industry and monetary damages for money spent to treat smoking-related illnesses.
$49.6 Million To Arkansas In Tobacco Settlement Payments
