TOBACCO AGREEMENT CRITICIZED

Settlement: State Letting Industry Off Too Easy With Deal That Hurts
Taxpayers, Protesters Argue.

PASADENA (AP) -- Critics lambasted Attorney General Dan Lungren and
the $206 billion tobacco settlement Wednesday, saying it does little
to stop the industry from recruiting new smokers and leaves taxpayers
footing most smoking-related medical bills.

With Friday's deadline to approve the deal fast approaching, health
professionals and anti-smoking advocates told the state Senate
Judiciary Committee the agreement will cover less than 50 percent of
California's smoking-related health costs.

What's more, critics said, it contains numerous loopholes that will
allow tobacco companies to avoid paying the price for the damage they
have caused.

``This is one of the most important issues to affect the health
industry,'' said Dr. Stanton A. Glantz, professor of medicine at the
University of California-San Francisco. ``To have this jammed down the
public's throat is outrageous.''

The largest civil settlement ever reached in the United States would
force the tobacco industry to pay the sum to states over 25 years for
health costs of treating sick smokers. Attorneys general of 46 states
must decide by midday Friday whether to sign the agreement.

Lungren and state health director Kim Belshe have said they would
approve it. A San Diego County Superior Court judge handling
California's lawsuit against the tobacco companies must sign a consent
decree by Dec. 11 to make it valid.

The settlement reached this week by four major tobacco companies and
the attorneys general of eight states, including Lungren, would give
California nearly $24 billion over the next 25 years plus annual
payments that would initially total about $900 million. The money
would be evenly split between local governments and the state.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry