Iowa has received approximately $53.2 million in payments from U.S. tobacco companies this year as part of a multistate settlement agreement reached in 1998, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced. Iowa is among 45 states that entered into the agreement with the four largest tobacco agreements to settle lawsuits to recover billions of dollars in state health care associated with treating smoking-related illnesses. Since then, several other tobacco companies have signed on to the agreement. The 2022 payment came from 20 companies, including Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco, Vector and Commonwealth Brands. About $11.7 million of this year’s payment — or 22% — will go to the state. The 78% remainder will be used principally to pay bondholders who bought bonds issued by the Tobacco Settlement Authority. In the last 24 years, Iowa has received $1.41 billion in payments under the settlement, which will continue to make payments in perpetuity as long as cigarettes are sold. The settlement created restrictions on the advertising, marketing and promotion of cigarettes, including a ban on targeting children through advertising.