Indiana has secured $130.4 million from tobacco product manufacturers this year under the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, Attorney General Curtis Hill announced recently. Since the inception of this settlement agreement in 1998, Indiana has now received a total of $2.78 billion. Under the agreement, the state will continue to receive payments in perpetuity, as long as the tobacco manufacturers continue selling cigarettes in Indiana. The attorneys general of 46 states and six U.S. territories originally participated in the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement resolved lawsuits against the four largest tobacco manufacturers that aimed to recover billions of dollars in state health care costs due to smoking-related illnesses. The funds received by Indiana under the settlement agreement are deposited into the General Fund and then disbursed by the General Assembly with an emphasis on programs aimed at protecting and improving Hoosiers’ health. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement remains the largest civil settlement in U.S. history. Beyond the monetary damages, the settlement agreement also imposes restrictions on the advertising, marketing and promotion of tobacco products. For more information on quitting smoking, call Indiana’s Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QuitNow.