Under the settlement, the state would have to spend $476 million of the total to address the nation's opioid crisis.
SEATTLE — Months into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation’s three largest opioid distributors agreed Tuesday to pay the state $518 million, with the vast majority being directed toward easing the addiction epidemic.
Under the settlement, the state would have to spend $476 million of the total to address the opioid crisis, including on substance abuse treatment; expanding access to overdose-reversal drugs; and providing housing, job placement and other services for those struggling with addiction. The rest of the money would go toward litigation costs.
Ferguson, a Democrat, declined to join, calling what would have been the state’s $418 million share from the distributors insufficient. Instead, he decided to go to trial against the three distributors and separately against Johnson & Johnson. The companies rejected the accusations. They said they merely supplied opioids that had been prescribed by doctors, and it wasn’t their role to second-guess the prescriptions or interfere in the doctor-patient relationship.
Over the last two decades, the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans have been linked to overdoses of opioids, including both prescription pain kills and illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
AG Ferguson: 3 opioid distributors to pay $518M to Washington stateWashington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Tuesday a resolution that three opioid distributors will pay more than $500 million to the state to combat the opioid epidemic.
Read more »
AG Ferguson: 3 opioid distributors to pay $518M to Washington stateWashington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Tuesday a resolution that three opioid distributors will pay more than $500 million to the state to combat the opioid epidemic.
Read more »
DC Reaches $750K Settlement in Trump Inaugural LawsuitAs part of the agreement, the defendants will pay the District of Columbia a total of $750,000, which will be used to benefit three nonprofit organizations, the settlement paperwork says.
Read more »
Restitution available for those who purchased from Anchorage Auto MartA $60,000 settlement toward a restitution fund has been reached in a consumer protection case against Anchorage Auto Mart.
Read more »
SAWS reaches settlement with Westside restaurant ownersSAWS' trustees approved the settlement Tuesday to pay the Rodriguez family $295,000 for use of their parking lot for a sewage lift station.
Read more »
Disneyland Hotel pays $100,000 to settle bedbug lawsuitAn attorney says Disneyland Hotel paid $100,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by an LA woman who claimed she was bitten by bedbugs during a 2018 stay.
Read more »