Remember those big tobacco lawsuits from back in the 1990's? You know, the one where the courts relieved the plaintiffs of any responsibility for their personal health choices (because lord knows we're all helpless in the face of a good tobacco advertisement) and forced the nation's tobacco company to fork over billions to fight the sale of their own product?

Well, it looks like hardly any of that money has been used to actually fight the "epidemic" of tobacco usage.

Settlement money from the historic 1990s tobacco lawsuit isn’t exactly being used for its intended purpose — tobacco-prevention and cessation programs. Tobacco companies were extorted out of $246 billion over 25 years to be divided among the states and DC for these helpful little programs. However, in the last five years, only five percent of the $41 billion received thus far has been spent on fighting the “epidemic.” Some of the more outrageous expenditures include Michigan’s providing $2,500 scholarships for college students; North Dakota’s spending on water resources and flood-control projects; and New York’s buying golf carts and an irrigation and sprinkler system for a public golf course in Niagara County. The “redistribution” award, however, goes to North Carolina for giving 75 percent of its settlement money to tobacco growers.

Amazing.

Honestly, I think the only real winners in any of that nonsense were the lawyers.