Washington’s Attorney General Ferguson announced a $149.5 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over the opioid epidemic that has been devastating local communities. Everett will receive $9.5 million and Snohomish County will see a total of $58.4 million.
Everett PD arrested a felon with 10k Fentanyl pills last year
Johnson & Johnson must pay the full amount within 21 days of the deal being ratified by Washington’s local governments, which must happen by May. The settlement requires that $123.3 million be used to combat the opioid epidemic. Ferguson is directing 50% of these resources to local governments across the state.
Johnson & Johnson is the top US supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients used to make opioid drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and naloxone. Their aggressive marketing of opioids overstated the effectiveness of the drugs for treating pain long term and understated the risk of addiction.
Had Washington not rejected the national settlement, it would have received only $98.9 million to be paid over 9 years. By settling separately, the funds will come much quicker and $24.4 million higher. There is still pending litigation against multiple pharmacy chains, but in total, the Attorney General has now recovered more than $1.2 billion to improve treatment options, support first responders, and invest in other proven strategies to combat this crisis.
The breakdown by Snohomish County city:
January 24, 2024
Everett, Everett Economy, Everett Government, Police Blotter