In a landmark move towards addressing the opioid crisis in the nation, Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined forces with a bipartisan group of 55 attorneys general to settle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family for a staggering $7.4 billion. According to the Illinois Attorney General’s office, this settlement is the culmination of extensive efforts by legal professionals in the Consumer Fraud Division, aiming to provide much-needed funds for people in Illinois grappling with opioid addiction.
"This settlement is the outcome of many hours of tireless work by the attorneys in my office’s Consumer Fraud Division, and I am proud of their dedication. As a result of their efforts, money from the Sacklers and Purdue will finally be available to fund services for Illinoisans affected by opioid addiction," Raoul stated. The settlement marks the end of Purdue, under Sackler ownership, to aggressively market opioid products, which significantly contributed to fueling the largest drug crisis in American history. It also signifies an end to the Sacklers' ability to sell opioids within the United States, with the promise that communities hit by the crisis will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to fund addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery initiatives.
Notwithstanding this historic agreement, the distribution of funds to local governments remains contingent on bankruptcy court approval, with a hearing scheduled in the upcoming days. If approved, Illinois and local authorities are expected to receive close to $148.8 million over a 15-year span.
The initial payments from the settlement are expected to bring in $1.5 billion from the Sacklers and roughly $900 million from Purdue Pharma. An additional $500 million is slated to be paid after one year, another $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years. These funds are intended to significantly bolster programs that confront the opioid epidemic. Raoul's office, in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Human Services, has directed part of Illinois' share towards pivotal services, such as the distribution of naloxone to reverse overdoses, expanding prevention services for at-risk children, and providing substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, among other initiatives.
For individuals seeking assistance with opioid addiction, Attorney General Raoul recommends calling the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances at 833-2FINDHELP, which is available 24/7. The complete breakdown of the allocation and utilization of settlement funds will be provided shortly on the state’s dedicated Opioid Settlements Initiative website, laying out all expenditures of opioid settlement funds that the state, along with local government, receive.
