41.   The suit pointed out that city hospitals treat smokers for their smoking-related diseases.

42.   The tobacco lawsuit sought to reimburse the state for the cost of treating ill smokers.

43.   The state sued the tobacco industry to recover taxpayer money spent on treating sick smokers, the third state to reach a settlement of such a suit.

44.   The states are seeking billions of dollars in compensation for public money spent treating smokers.

45.   The tobacco companies want an accounting of offsets, which means estimating what the states would have spent treating smokers, had they lived longer.

46.   Thirty-four states attorneys general have sued the tobacco industry for money spent treating sick smokers.

47.   Tobacco shares had reached record highs recently on hopes for a settlement of all litigation by states and other plaintiffs trying to recover costs of treating sick smokers.

48.   U.S. cigarette companies and their opponents reached a landmark settlement to resolve hundreds of lawsuits filed by smokers and states seeking to recoup costs treating smokers.

49.   U.S. cigarette companies and their opponents are close to reaching a landmark settlement to resolve hundreds of lawsuits filed by smokers and states seeking to recoup costs treating smokers.

50.   U.S. cigarette makers agreed to the payout to settle lawsuits by states seeking to recover the costs of treating sick smokers.