The Blue Water area is no stranger to the opioid addiction crisis, but money for help could be coming in soon.
The opioid crisis has its roots in the over-prescription of pain pills and drug companies could soon be made to pay. A historic $26 billion settlement has been proposed by a coalition of states.
A lawsuit was filed against the nation’s three largest pharmaceutical distributors, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen. Part of the settlement would include industry changes to prevent history from repeating itself.
Michigan could receive nearly $800 million over the life of the settlement. Michigan has already received around $16 million from a previous settlement. Michigan is the first state to sue the drug companies.
The settlement has been agreed upon in principle, but the details are still being hashed out. If the state attorneys general get their way, the drug companies will shell out $26 billion over 18 years to go toward opioid addiction prevention and treatment.
Over 1700 Michigan residents died from opioid overdoses in 2019. Preliminary 2020 data shows no improvement.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
