Marin County in California plans to use $7 million in settlement funds to help with the ongoing opioid crisis, Post News Group reported April 2.
The county will receive $800,000 per year for nine years. The first installment of the settlement will go toward the county's OD Free Marin program, which offers community education and overdose prevention and connects people with substance use disorders to mental health, recovery and treatment programs.
In 2021, Marin County joined a nationwide lawsuit against opioid manufacturer Johnson and Johnson and the largest pharmaceutical opioid distributors including McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health. Settlements with CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Allergan and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries are still pending.
"It's good that the industry that helped create this crisis is funding some of the solutions," Matt Willis, MD, Marin County Public Health Officer, told the publication. "This money will help us save lives. The crisis is getting worse nationally and in our own backyard."