Michigan expected to receive nearly $800 million over 18 years
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was joined Monday by county and city leaders as they highlight next steps in the $26 billion opioid settlements with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and opioid manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson.
“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.”
The Department of Attorney General’s team assisting in the state’s portion of the settlements continues to work with participating subdivisions that will receive direct payments. Local municipalities will continue to receive information about the settlements as the process unfolds.
The defendants will start releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2. Money will start flowing to state and local governments in the second or third quarter of 2022.
“Being in the trenches of fighting the opioid crisis, we can readily visualize the huge positive impact this settlement would have in various Michigan communities,” Dr. Chad Audi, president and CEO of Detroit Rescue Mission, said. “Kudos to the Michigan Department of Attorney General for its remarkable collaborative efforts in encouraging and highlighting such impact.”
“On behalf of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, we are excited to stand with Attorney General Dana Nessel and other stakeholders to highlight the impact of this settlement agreement with the drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson,” Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington said. “Our Narcotics team is hard at work fighting this crisis every day. We look forward to working with all stakeholders as we fight this fight together.”
“This long overdue settlement holds pharmaceutical companies accountable, will save lives and help keep families intact,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “The funding will allow us to work with our partners in the county and the communities to expand existing prevention and treatment programs and boost our rapid response that will deploy the resources needed to reduce opioid overdoses and deaths. We also are developing new initiatives that will help more people be successful on their road to recovery.”
“The opioid addiction has reached far and deep into American society,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “I am pleased that Michigan has a settlement from the manufacturers that hopefully will allow us to support and connect those suffering from addiction to a path forward.”
“This historic settlement will provide Macomb County with critical resources to aid those most impacted by the opioid epidemic,” Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel said.
“Early on, Macomb County was a leading voice highlighting the tragic realities of the opioid epidemic. Now working with trusted community partners, healthcare leaders and treatment and prevention experts we will utilize these resources to provide hope and healing to those that need it most.”
Nessel joined the metro Detroit leaders Monday morning during a press conference at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. Additional media stops took place in Flint and Lansing later in the day.
“This settlement will allow us to combat opioid addiction in our community through various means including the enhancement and improvement of our problem-solving courts in Genesee County like our successful Recovery Court,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said. “Recovery court and other similar programs allow us to hold offenders accountable while at the same time assist them in their battle with addiction and help them get on the road to productivity.”
This historic national agreement marks the culmination of three years of negotiations to resolve more than 4,000 claims of state and local governments across the country. It is the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history, second only to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Additional information about the opioid settlements is available on the Department of Attorney General’s website at www.michigan.gov/ag under “initiatives.”.
Any resident in need of opioid addiction treatment can find resources at www.michigan.gov/opioids.
