R.J. Reynolds

December 17, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) has agreed to suspend an advertising campaign that jointly promotes Camel cigarettes and Indie Rock music.

RJR agreed to the temporary advertising freeze after Blumenthal and other attorneys general separately filed state court legal actions against RJR for tying the Camel logo to its Indie Rock promotion, which included a nine-page advertising display in the 40th Anniversary issue of Rolling Stone dated Nov. 15 featuring cartoons.    » read more »

December 4, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today sued R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) for a nine-page advertising display in Rolling Stone that uses cartoons to jointly promote Camel cigarettes and Indie Rock music - a blatant violation of the tobacco Consent Decree and Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

Connecticut is one of eight states filing action in court against RJR for its illegal advertising campaign. Additional states filing are California, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.    » read more »

December 04, 2007 -- OLYMPIA -- Washington will join several other states in filing suit against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for violating a national ban on the use of cartoons in tobacco advertising, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna announced today.

The Attorney General’s Office today filed a motion in King County Superior Court, seeking an order prohibiting further use of cartoons in advertising and requiring the payment of monetary sanctions of more than $3.5 million, among other requested relief.    » read more »

December 4, 2007 -- HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that Pennsylvania, along with several other states, have filed a series of multi-million dollar lawsuits against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for violating a national ban on the use of cartoons in the advertisement and promotion of cigarettes.

Corbett said today's lawsuits are in response to a national advertising campaign in Rolling Stone magazine, published in November 2007, which includes a nine-page "special advertising section" for Camel brand cigarettes featuring numerous cartoon images.    » read more »

Files suit seeking more than $5,000,000 in penalties for cigarette maker’s violations of cartoon advertising ban

Dec. 4, 2007 -- Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann today asked Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge David Fais to hold R.J. Reynolds (RJR) in contempt and fine the cigarette maker more than $5,000,000 for violating the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) the tobacco industry signed with Ohio, 44 other states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories in 1998.    » read more »

Company That Brought Kids “Joe Camel” Now Advertises With New Cartoons

NEW YORK, NY (December 4, 2007) - New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he is suing R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) for using cartoons and brand-name merchandise to market its Camel cigarettes, which is a direct violation of the national Tobacco Master Settlement (MSA). Attorney General Cuomo’s filing is part of a multi-state effort to stop RJR’s illegal marketing; the attorneys general of seven other states filed similar actions in their respective courts today.    » read more »

Use of Cartoons and CDs in Advertising a Violation of the Master Settlement Agreement

BALTIMORE, MD (December 4, 2007) – Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that he has filed a multi-million dollar suit against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for violating the 1998 Consent Decree that prohibited the use of cartoons and brand merchandise in the marketing of its products. The suit was filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court today and seeks monetary sanctions of no less than $2.5 million.    » read more »

Rolling Stone Ad Uses Cartoon Characters to Promote Cigarette Smoking to Young People

December 4, 2007 -- Chicago – Continuing her tough stance to protect teens from the dangers of cigarette smoking, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a motion against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (RJR) alleging that RJR is illegally marketing cigarettes to youth through a current advertising campaign.    » read more »

(SANTA FE, NM) -- New Mexico Attorney General King says New Mexico is $ 2.8-million richer today thanks to a supplemental payment under the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). This payment is in addition to the state’s allocable share, in the amount of $ 35.9 million, received in 2007. The new money follows the distribution of the annual payment of $6-billion that was made in April to the 52 states and territories that are part of the MSA.    » read more »

June 4, 2007 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — The state of Missouri received an additional $1,076,151 today from tobacco companies as part of the ongoing payments received under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) obtained by Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon. The most recent payment brings the total Missouri has received under the MSA to $1,239,339,623.63. Almost $137 million was paid to the state in April.    » read more »

June 04, 2007 -- Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo announced that Kentucky today received a supplemental payment of $833,000 under the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). This payment is the state’s share of the $47.3 million in distributions made now, following the distributions of the annual payment of $6.02 billion that was made in April to the 52 states and territories that are part of the MSA.    » read more »