55 Attorneys General Sign On to $7.4 Billion Purdue Settlement

55 Attorneys General Sign On to $7.4 Billion Purdue Settlement

North Carolina will receive nearly $150 million

RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson today announced that 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. The North Carolina Department of Justice helped lead the settlement negotiations, and the Sackler family has informed the attorneys general that it will proceed with the settlement to resolve litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for their role in the opioid crisis. Now that the state sign-on period has concluded, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson released the following statement:

“Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family are responsible for creating the opioid epidemic that continues to take the lives of North Carolinians every single day. Our office helped lead these talks, which will bring billions to people across the state and country to help them address opioid misuse and begin and stay in recovery. And the Sacklers won’t be able to manipulate doctors and patients to start another addiction epidemic again. We’re all safer for having them out of the pharma business. Like they’ve repeatedly done, I look forward to North Carolina’s local governments signing on so we can receive our full share of the funds.”

“Counties are on the front lines of the opioid overdose epidemic – and leading the way toward recovery,” said Tare “T” Davis, President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and Warren County Commissioner. “Local governments, especially counties, are best positioned to help communities prevent, treat, and recover from opioid use disorders. We’re grateful to the Department of Justice for holding accountable the companies that fueled this crisis, and proud of county leaders using settlement funds to make real, lasting impact. We urge all eligible local governments to sign on to the latest settlement agreements, so North Carolina receives every dollar it’s owed to expand lifesaving services.”

Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Communities across the country will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery. This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest settlement to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. North Carolina’s state and local governments will receive nearly $150 million from this settlement over the next 15 years. A breakdown of estimated payments to each local government is available here.

Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. The Sacklers will pay $1.5 billion and Purdue will pay roughly $900 million in the first payment, followed by $500 million after one year, an additional $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years.

Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

Including this new settlement, the Department of Justice has secured nearly $1.6 billion in opioid settlement funds for North Carolina, with local governments slated to receive $1.3 billion. The Community Opioid Resources Engine (CORE-NC) allows people to see how each local government is using its opioid settlement funds including payment schedules, spending plans, past spending, annual narratives, and local contacts.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 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 Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

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Download the full video clip here.

Download 15-second segments from Attorney General Jackson’s video below:

Clip 1 | :20 – :35: |“The Sackler family owned Purdue Pharma, and Purdue Pharma lied to a bunch of doctors about the opioid they had invented, telling them that it wasn’t addictive. This led to the prescription pill crisis, which has now morphed in to the prescription pill crisis, which is taking lives every single day.”

Clip 2 | :36 – :51 | “This settlement is going to bring us up to $1.6 billion dollars for North Carolina. Most of it will be received in the next three years, and the vast majority of it is gonna go directly to local governments to allow them to break the cycle of addiction.”

QUOTES 

“The opioid crisis has been constantly evolving; we have gone from prescription opioids, to heroin, to fentanyl, and now to synthetic fentanyl adulterated with drugs like xylazine, which poses serious new health risks that communities are only beginning to understand. Local opioid settlement dollars have been instrumental in helping Cumberland County reduce overdose rates and expand access to treatment, recovery, prevention, and harm reduction services. These funds have supported programs like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), which has been truly transformational, not only for the individuals who benefit from evidence-based, harm reduction–focused interventions, but for the broader community that sees measurable improvements in public health and safety.”

— Greg Berry, Project Coordinator, Cumberland-Fayetteville Opioid Response Team (C-FORT) & Program Coordinator, Fayetteville LEAD Program

“As someone who is in long term recovery from opioid use disorder, it’s an incredible privilege s have been life changing for so many people in Forsyth County.  We have been able to help fund grassroots organizations that are making a large impact in the community. Whether it’s funds to expand the addiction workforce, treat opioid use disorder, fund peer support specialists, or support our harm reduction organization, we are able to help residents tackle their own individual challenges head on. I have seen such more and more organizations begin to think outside of the box on ways that we can address the opioid crisis in Forsyth County. Being able to look back and see where we were as a nation 20 years ago when I was actively using and now has been nothing short of awe inspiring. We are able to have these conversations out in the open, with our friends, neighbors, etc. I am proud to play a small part in helping other people along their own recovery journey.”

— Annie Vasquez, Substance Use Health Educator, Forsyth County

“The Gaston County LEAD program is modeled on harm-reduction principles and aims to reduce law enforcement and judicial encounters among those who are living with substance use disorder, unmet mental health needs, and are experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since the program began in October of 2022, we have successfully assisted more than 60 participants in addressing these issues. Of our active participants in the first quarter of this year we had a non-recidivism rate of 72 percent. Two participants have successfully graduated from a residential treatment program and another just went last month and is doing well. One of the graduates came back to continue services with us and we were able to enroll her in a training to become a certified peer support specialist. This will not only help on her personal recovery journey, but she will also be able to play an integral role in helping another on that same journey.

“We have recently partnered with two more law enforcement agencies, as well as several community organizations, thus casting a wider net of referral sources which will allow us greater opportunity to further the program’s positive impact in our communities.”

— Allison Iannetti, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, Gaston County

“In Edgecombe County, we’ve seen the pain and devastation that opioid addiction brings to our communities on the street level. We’ve also see the resilience and hope that come from timely intervention and compassionate care. Our EMS and post overdose teams are not just responding to crisis; we’re helping people find a path forward.

“Every dollar from this settlement represents a chance to save a life, support a recovery, and strengthen the systems that hold our communities together. We’re proud to be part of the solution, and grateful that these funds will help us keep showing up for the people who need us most.”

— Dalton Barrett, Community Paramedic Program Officer, Edgecombe County Emergency Services

 

STATS 

A breakdown of estimated payments to each local government is available here.

Overall Stats 

County-Specific Stats (Note that these funding totals do not include anticipated funds from the settlement. For anticipated payments from that settlement, click here.) 

• Mecklenburg County is receiving $74,854,434 in opioid settlement funds from 2022 through 2038.

  • Mecklenburg County has approved strategies for this money that go toward evidence-based addiction treatment, recovery support services, post-overdose response, recovery housing support, and more. 

• In Pitt County, a projected 42 people died of overdose in 2024.

• Pitt County is receiving $17,909,533 in opioid settlement funds from 2022 through 2038.

  • Pitt County has approved strategies for spending these funds that address evidence-based addiction treatment, naloxone distribution, post-overdose response, and more.

• In Currituck County, a projected 9 people died of overdose in 2024.

• Currituck County is receiving $2,255,207 in opioid settlement funds from 2022 through 2038.

• In Robeson County, a projected 42 people died of overdose in 2024.

• Robeson County is receiving $16,417,753 in opioid settlement funds from 2022 through 2038.

  • Robeson County has approved strategies for spending these funds that go toward evidence-based addiction treatment, recovery support services, employment-related services, and more.

Source: NCopioidsettlement.org