State To Receive Up To $105.6 Million In Opioid Settlement

Washington state is expected to receive up to $105.6 million over the next 15 years as part of a $7.4 billion national settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, Attorney General Nick Brown announced Monday.

The settlement, reached by all 55 attorneys general representing eligible states and U.S. territories, is the largest to date involving individuals alleged to have contributed to the nation’s opioid epidemic. Funds from the agreement must be used for opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and will be divided evenly between state and local governments.

“The Attorney General’s Office recovery of more than one billion dollars has empowered state, local, and tribal governments to combat the opioid crisis,” Brown said. “Today’s agreement means even more money will flow to fund treatment centers, support first responders, and improve Washingtonians’ lives. We must do more to help communities on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, and today’s settlement will do exactly that.”

The settlement will resolve claims alleging that Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family aggressively marketed opioid products and helped fuel the largest drug crisis in U.S. history. Under the terms of the agreement, the Sacklers will relinquish control of Purdue and be barred from selling opioids in the United States.

Most of the funds will be disbursed within the first three years. In Washington, the money will support programs designed to address addiction treatment, public health responses, prevention efforts, and other community services related to opioid misuse.

The settlement is contingent on approval by a bankruptcy court. A hearing is scheduled in the coming days. Local governments will be asked to join the agreement as part of a sign-on and voting process, also pending court authorization.

As with previous opioid-related settlements, this agreement resolves civil legal claims brought by state and local governments and does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing.

With this deal, Washington’s total recovery from opioid settlements now totals approximately $1.29 billion.

In addition to Washington, the attorneys general participating in the settlement represent Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.