A complaint was filed today by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer against US Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC), accusing the company of misconduct in marketing to kids and failure to honour signed agreements not to do so.

Although USSTC has signed and agreed to abide by the terms of the 1998 Smokeless Master Settlement Agreement, promising not to take "any action, directly or indirectly to target youth”, the California complaint accuses USSTC of sponsoring National Hotrod Association (NHRA) events even though NHRA allows 16 and 17 year-old drivers to participate in its Powerade national series. The complaint also cites USSTC's distribution of both its products and other brand name merchandise at NHRA events, which is a further violation of the smokeless agreement that USSTC is bound by. Attorney General Lockyer is asking for a consent order that would force USSTC to drop its NHRA sponsorship and end it's marketing and product placement activities. The complaint also asks for unspecified monetary sanctions and a citation for civil contempt against USSTC for breaking its promise not to market to kids. (pi)