County Governments to Receive Payments from Opioid Lawsuits
Photo: Tennessee Dept of Mental Health
Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council is making the first payments from opioid lawsuit settlements to counties totaling more than $31.4 million.
- Hardeman County will receive $104,548.87
- Fayette County will receive $164,339.53
Payments from these settlements, while not as large as this initial payment, will continue annually for 18 years.
County leaders are able to select activities from a list approved by the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council. Approved uses include a continuum of opioid use disorder treatment programs, medication assisted treatment, recovery supports, and prevention measures.
“There isn’t a county in Tennessee that hasn’t been touched by the opioid crisis. The funding going to these counties will have an immediate and much-needed impact. We are excited to get this funding out to all 95 counties of our great state, and we can’t wait to see how local leaders put it to good use,” said Stephen Loyd, MD, Opioid Abatement Council Chairman.
In accordance with terms of the Distributor and Janssen/J&J settlement agreements negotiated by the Tennessee Attorney General, 35-per-cent of proceeds went directly to county governments so that local leaders could direct spending on programs to address the effects of opioids on their citizens and communities. The remaining 65-per-cent of settlement dollars will be distributed through a competitive grant application process to be established the Opioid Abatement Council. The processes for applying for funding and scoring applications are on the agenda for the Council’s next meeting at the end of the month.
Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council was created by the Tennessee General Assembly in Public Chapter 491 to manage the disbursement of proceeds from lawsuits relating to opioids. The Council upholds the responsibility to ensure the disbursements of these funds go toward funding programs, strategies, expenditures, and other actions designed to prevent and address the misuse and abuse of opioid products and treat or mitigate opioid use or related disorders or other effects of the opioid epidemic.
Click here for a list of individual payment amounts to each county
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