Ohio could get $198 million over 15 years from a huge settlement struck between attorneys general from 49 states, the District of Columbia and five US territories and Purdue Pharma. That company and its owners, the Sackler family, have agreed to pay $7.4 billion to resolve claims that they launched and fueled the deadly opioid crisis.
Ohio led the nation or was near the top at times in the opioid crisis. The Ohio Department of Health reports 35,907 Ohioans dying in overdoses from 2014 to the first quarter of 2024, which is the last time frame for which statistics are available.
"This is the last major piece" in terms of lawsuits, said Attorney General Dave Yost. The lawsuit against Purdue has been in court for five years. Oklahoma is the only state not in this suit; that state settled with the drug manufacturer for $270 million in 2019.
But he said since many of the payouts are structured over time, this part of the epidemic won't come to an end for a long time.
"It is still there. It is still a crisis. We've lost hundreds of thousands of lives in the course of this thing. This money is not going to bring those people back, nor is it going to magically wave some kind of a wand to kill off the addiction and the cravings," Yost said. "We still have a lot of work to do, and this money's not going to be enough, to be absolutely candid. But it helps."
Ohio's opioid settlement funds are distributed by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, which is composed of government appointees, members of the legislature and community members from across the state.
“While no settlement can erase the deep and lasting harm of the opioid epidemic, the resources it provides are a powerful tool to advance prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts," wrote spokesperson Connie Luck. "The OneOhio Recovery Foundation will continue working closely with partners across the state to ensure these funds reach the communities and families most impacted—turning settlement dollars into lasting healing and hope.”
Local governments will now be asked to join the settlement, which is still subject to approval by a federal bankruptcy judge.
This is in addition to around $2 billion Ohio has already been set to receive in opioid settlement funds from various drugmakers and distributors.
