Glantz - "Current AG Deal Is Better Than
June 20th Deal"
Many people are comparing the
current AG deal with the June 20 agreement of last year and saying that
it is not as good as June 20. I disagree.
The current deal does not have any immunity for the industy against
private law suits.
The current deal does nothing to compromise FDA regulation or preempt
local tobacco control laws.
The money for the states (if they actually get it given all the loopholes,
adjustments and offsets) is about the same as June 20. (Some of the June
20 money was to settle private suits.)
This is not to say that the current deal is good. It is a scam. But
the June 20 deal would have done much more damage.
I just hope that, given all the talk of federal legislation, we do not
get back in to the same mess we did last year.