The tobacco industry is a major political force in Mississippi though lobbying, litigation, public relations, direct campaign contributions, indirect campaign contributions, gifts and honoraria, and entertainment events. The tobacco industry has a centralized political organization that defends and promotes its political market interests in state government. Although the tobacco industry has operated in the open in some instances, it generally works quietly behind the scenes by itself, with allied organizations, and through front groups on state political campaigns.From 1996 to 1999, 23 legislators received tobacco industry contributions of 500ormore.Oftheserecipients,sixteenwereDemocratsandeightwereRepublicans.Incontrastofthereceiptoftobaccoindustrycontributions,themeantobaccoscoreof6.3,(standarddeviation2,2,n=20)fortheselegislatorsalsoindicatedamildpro−tobaccocontrolbias.From1998to2000,PhilipMorrispaiditslobbyistatotalof363,574, which was the highest compensation of all tobacco lobbyists in Mississippi. The second highest compensation from 1998 to 2000 of 121,200wasreceivedbythelobbyistfortheSmokelessTobaccoCouncil.Duetothecontinuedlobbyingpowerandpresenceofthetobaccolobbyonstategovernmentalongwithanti−taxsentimentsamongstatelegislators,Mississippi’stobaccoexcisetaxremainedthe10thlowestinthecountryat18centsapack.Thetobaccolobbyinconjunctionwithbusinessalliesandafrontgroupthatithelpedtoestablish,wasabletolobbythestatelegislaturetoenactaproductliability“reform”billthatsubstantiallyraisedthestandardtoprovelegalpunitivedamages,prohibitedotherretailersfrombeingsubjecttolawsuitsaimedatmanufacturers,requiredaseparatetrialforpunitivedamages,andrequiredthatplaintiffsbeabletoseekpunitivedamagesonlyafterwinningactualdamages.In1994,MississippiwasthefirststatetofilealawsuitagainstthetobaccoindustryonbehalfoftaxpayerstopayforthemedicalcostsofsicktobaccouserswhoreceivedMedicaid.ThelawsuitwasfiledbyMississippiAttorneyGeneralMikeMooreinleaguewithprivateattorneysincludingMoore’sformerlawschoolclassmateandcurrentfriendattorneyRichardScruggs.InFebruary1996,RepublicanGovernorKirkFordicefiledaprivatelawsuitagainstMikeMooreintheMississippiSupremeCourtclaimingMoore’slawsuitwasillegalbecauseMoorehadfailedtoobtainthepermissionofGovernorFordicetofilethelawsuit.Fordice’slawsuitwasfiledattherequestofaPhilipMorrislobbyistandpaidforinlargepartbytheMississippiManufacturers’Association.InaseparatelawsuitalsofiledinFebruary1996beforetheMississippiSupremeCourt,lawyersforthetobaccoindustryrequestedthatMoore’slawsuitbedismissedonthesamegroundsasGovernorFordice’searlierlawsuit.InMarch1997,inseparatedecisions,theMississippiSupremeCourtdismissedFordiceandthetobaccoindustry’slawsuits.InJuly1997,thetobaccoindustrysettledtheMedicaidlawsuitwithMississippi.Underthetermsofthelawsuit,3.4 billion was to be paid to Mississippi in the first 25 years, with further payments continuing in perpetuity based on adjustments due to inflation and smoking rates.Due to subsequent legislation in the Mississippi legislature, funds from this lawsuit were placed in a Mississippi Tobacco Trust Fund to pay for a variety of state health programs.In October 1997, in a separate legal settlement agreement, 62millionwasplacedinaseparateescrowaccountandspentovertwoyearstoestablishayouthanti−tobaccoprogram.Theprogramhasbeenadministeredbyanon−profitcorporationknownasthePartnershipforaHealthyMississippi.Subsequentfundingfortheprogramhascomefromthestatelegislature.Spendingfortheprograminthefirsttwoyears,whichwasbelowthe62 million placed in the escrow account, was 17millionin1999and22 million in 2000. The spending in 2000 exceeded the minimum amount recommended by the CDC for the funding of the program.The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi administers several programs to curb youth tobacco use including community education efforts with community youth partnerships, school programs, faith-based initiatives, and targeted programs; statewide counter marketing media campaigns aimed at pre-adolescent and adolescent audiences; and surveys and evaluations.By 2001, surveys indicated that the program was having significant effects on smoking rates. Public middle school students reporting current tobacco use (using tobacco one or more times in the last thirty days) from 1999-2001 dropping 26.7% for all tobacco use, 30.4% for cigarette use, 35.3% for cigar use, and 44.4% for smokeless tobacco use.Due to the power of the tobacco lobby, state clean indoor legislation has remained very weak. The one major exception was a bill enacted in 2000 that prohibited tobacco use on all school property including teachers’ lounges and at athletic events. Major lobbying for this bill came from youth associated with Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi programs. Specific efforts in this campaign included two major rallies of 1000 and 1600 youth at the state capital in 2000 and individual lobbying by young people of state legislators. Technical assistance on how to properly lobby was provided by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.Although local government are not preempted from enacting stronger local clean indoor air legislation, as of 2000 no Mississippi localities have enacted major local clean indoor air legislation