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.

SEATTLE -- The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has received complaints against a firm selling magnetic mattress pads in Washington, Greentree Health Systems, of Lebanon, Ohio. The complaints appear to be very similar to those that led to the filing of a lawsuit in February of 2003, against N.W. Global Network, Inc., and its president, Eric Glenn.

SEATTLE – As stories about identity theft and privacy issues continue to dominate headlines, Attorney General Rob McKenna is working to educate Washington residents, businesses and law enforcement about new legislation that aims to prevent identity theft and protect consumers.

Several new state laws take effect next week that address security breaches, access to credit reports, and Internet scams such as “phishing.”

OLYMPIA - July 11, 2000 - Washington state has received a $2.25 million grant to help battle tobacco use among young people, Attorney General Christine Gregoire and state Department of Health Secretary Mary Selecky announced today.

The grant, to be distributed in three $750,000 installments over three years, comes from the American Legacy Foundation, which was created under the terms of the 1998 settlement reached between 46 attorneys general and the tobacco industry.

OLYMPIA - For a second time, Attorney General Christine Gregoire has sued a Blaine tobacco company for failing to create escrow accounts to cover future litigation arising from use of its tobacco products.