Olympia - August 24, 2001 - A lawsuit filed in February by the Attorney General's Office against a Washington tobacco company was settled today with the company agreeing to make payments into an escrow account based on the amount of cigarettes it sells in the state.

OLYMPIA -- A Thurston County judge has approved an agreement between the Attorney General's Office and Exxon Mobil Corporation that will help reduce the sale of tobacco products to minors at its gas stations and convenience stores, Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced.

Exxon Mobil, which operates more than 16,000 gas stations and convenience stores nationwide, signed the multi-state agreement implementing in-store procedures, employee training and other protections intended to curb the sale of tobacco to minors.

SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement with six Everett- and Seattle-based companies that concludes an investigation into alleged deceptive estate planning sales tactics that targeted senior citizens.

OLYMPIA—Attorney General Rob McKenna today named the members of his “Operation: Allied Against Meth” task force, a team of experts who will be charged with evaluating and recommending tools to address Washington’s methamphetamine epidemic.

SEATTLE - July 23, 1998 - Washington Attorney General Chris Gregoire said today King County Superior Court Judge George Finkle issued a series of rulings which enhance the state's lawsuit against tobacco companies.

Olympia - July 20, 2001 - A new federal study offers encouraging signs that anti-tobacco programs funded by the states' 1998 settlement with major tobacco companies are helping reduce the use of tobacco among young people, Attorney General Christine Gregoire said today.

The study, released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, shows that smoking rates for students in grades eight to 12 have significantly declined since Washington joined 45 other states and the District of Columbia in settling lawsuits with the tobacco companies.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna just gave counties statewide two more weapons in the fight against meth. Today he announced the hiring of two new prosecutors to help resource-starved counties prosecute meth crimes.

Scott Marlow, a deputy prosecuting attorney with the King County Prosecutor’s Office, and Rosalyn DiIorio, a felony attorney with the Northwest Defenders Association, will join the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Division in Seattle.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna strongly encourages citizens to attend this year’s Washington State Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Ceremony.

“This ceremony is a very special opportunity to honor those officers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and those who have distinguished themselves by extraordinary conduct,” said McKenna. “It’s also a chance to recognize and thank all officers who continue, at great risk and peril, to protect those they serve, as well as their families, who sacrifice so much for the safety of our communities.”

OLYMPIA - Attorney General Christine Gregoire today warned that a new tobacco product made to look like candy could lure young people into nicotine addiction, and she urged the federal government to regulate the product's marketing and sales.