|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
Nearly a decade after suing Purdue Pharma for “unfairly and deceptively” marketing opioids,” downplaying “how addictive” these drugs are and overstating the “benefits of opioids compared to other forms of pain management,” the office of South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson touted incoming proceeds from a national settlement tied to the case.
According to a release from Wilson’s office, a $7.4 billion settlement with the company and its owners – the Sackler family – is now in effect, an agreement that will route approximately $73 million to the Palmetto State.
The resolution comes seven years after Purdue Pharma declared bankruptcy – and nearly two years after the U.S. supreme court narrowly ruled that members of the Sackler family could not hide behind that filing to avoid culpability.
“We were one of the first states that sued Purdue back in 2017 to hold this company accountable for the opioid epidemic that has killed thousands of South Carolinians,” Wilson said. “The bankruptcy and appeals process has delayed resolution for years, but with this step, we’re finally nearing the finish line. South Carolina will receive approximately $72.8 million over the next 15 years to assist with recovery and prevention for the families and communities that were plagued by these highly addictive drugs.”
***
In filing the suit nine years ago, Wilson referred to the opioid crisis as a “public health epidemic” – and vowed to address the “toll of opioids on individual patients, families, and communities.”
His office referred to the opioid epidemic as “the largest drug crisis in the country’s history.”
In addition to the lawsuit against Purdue, Wilson’s office sued three other opioid distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen (now known as Cencora) – in 2019. Meanwhile, three other companies that manufactured opioids – Janssen, Allergan, and Teva – have settled with the state, as have three pharmacy chains (Walmart, Walgreens and CVS) and several other companies tied to the industry.
All told, these legal actions will route $256 million to South Carolina for “opioid abatement programs,” with an additional $500 million expected to flow into the state’s coffers over the coming decade-and-a-half.
***
RELATED | THE PARADOX OF OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS
***
Where will the money go? That’s a source of significant debate…
Earlier this year, we published a guest column from Chris Sharp – a senior fellow with the Cicero Institute – referring to the influx of settlement funds as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” one which imposed obligations on state leaders to “make intelligent, strategic decisions.”
“Opioid settlement funds offer a rare chance to confront addiction with seriousness and discipline,” Sharp noted. “That starts by ensuring the money is actually spent on opioid mitigation and not diverted to cover budget shortfalls, ideological ideas, or unrelated projects. But it also requires directing those funds toward interventions that reduce addiction and restore lives, rather than perpetuating crisis. Without that distinction, the settlements will fail to deliver the change they promised.”
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we track the disbursement of these funds and the outcomes associated with those investments…
BANNER VIA: GETTY IMAGES
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
