MICHIGAN, USA — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday that the state is expected to receive nearly $800 million over 18 years as part of a settlement with three opioid distributors and on opioid manufacturer.
The settlement comes after three years of negotiations with Cardinal, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson to resolve more than 4,000 claims by state and local governments.
“I took legal action once I took office to try to recoup money for the devastating impact that the opioid epidemic has had on the communities across our state,” Nessel said.
“I am pleased to see our work pay off with this historic settlement that will bring Michigan communities millions of dollars to support abatement efforts. I know that no amount of money will make whole the thousands of Michigan families impacted by opioids, but this is an important victory in a hard-fought battle.”
According to the Michigan Opioids Task Force, opioid overdoses killed 1,768 Michiganders in 2019 - an average of almost five people per day.
The money from the settlement will largely go towards opioid treatment and prevention programs within the state.
In addition to the monetary settlement by the opioid distributors Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, they are required to be more transparent with the distribution of the drugs, provide oversight and monitor, prohibit and report suspicious opioid orders.
Johnson & Johnson is required to stop selling opioids, to not fund opioid promotion, not participate in lobbying activities related to opioids and to share its clinical trial data.
If you or a loved one need opioid addiction treatment, there are resources to help.
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