What is The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) ?

The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) is a 1998 agreement between 46 US states and major tobacco companies to make annual payments to states to cover the healthcare costs of smoking-related illnesses. MSA tobacco payments have brought in a lot of money for states, but they may also make states more likely to rely on tobacco money, which could hurt smokers and create a conflict of interest for states. When figuring out how well the MSA Tobacco Payments work as a public health policy tool, it is important to think about the problems they might cause.