Tobacco Settlement Nets Kentucky $545,000

Source from:  Cincinnati Business Courier - 3:15 PM EST Monday 01/31/2007

Cigarette manufacturer Carolina Tobacco Co. will give Kentucky about $545,000 as part of a $31 million national settlement. The settlement resolves a dispute over the company's status as manufacturer of its Roger brand from November 1999 to April 2003. During this period, Roger brand cigarettes were produced, under Carolina Tobacco's direction, by House of Prince Riga, a Latvian company. In 2003, several states questioned whether Carolina Tobacco was required to make payments under the Master Settlement Agreement, which requires tobacco manufacturers to make annual payments to states to help compensate them for billions of dollars in health care costs associated with treating tobacco-related diseases. The settlement recognizes Portland, Ore.-based Carolina Tobacco as the manufacturer of Roger brand cigarettes during the disputed period, and therefore is responsible for the payments. Enditem