Oregon is set to receive a substantial financial injection from the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement over the notorious opioid crisis. According to a recent announcement by Attorney General Dan Rayfield, the Beaver State is poised to benefit from up to $66 million of the $7.4 billion national settlement. "We will not stop fighting to hold opioid companies accountable for the devastation they’ve caused," Rayfield stated, emphasizing Oregonians’ need for justice and community restoration.
The deal, which is distributed with 45% of the funds going to the state and 55% to counties and cities, assigns the Sacklers the lion's share of the bill with up to $6.5 billion in payments, and Purdue Pharma, L.P., settling up to $900 million. "This settlement ensures Oregon communities receive much-needed resources like drug treatment and prevention programs," said Rayfield, highlighting the settlement's focus on addressing the multifaceted needs of the affected communities. Of note, Oregon's slice of the settlement pie will be delivered over a nine-year timeline, in contrast to the 16 years that most other states will be waiting for their funds.
Local initiatives are already foreseeing the utility of these funds, with plans to fortify ongoing efforts in combating the dire consequences of opioid misuse. As an example, detailed within a press release by the Oregon Department of Justice, Clackamas County intends to allocate a portion of the funds to amplify opioid detox programs within jail facilities, augment medication for opioid use disorder, and enforce school-based opioid prevention programs, as well as to augment recovery services that include case management and peer recovery support.
The settlement is contingent on a bankruptcy process that must still be navigated. However, if approved, it will be a significant leap forward in recompensing not just the state and local authorities but also the individuals and other parties who have suffered at the hands of the opioid crisis. As Attorney General Rayfield eloquently outlined, this is not merely about financial reparation, but about delivering to the communities the much-needed support for treatment, prevention, and recovery, ensuring that the entities responsible for this public health calamity are held to account.
Oregon's anticipated $66 million from this settlement adds to an impressive $645 million retrieved since July 2021 from various pharmaceutical entities implicated in the opioid emergency.
