Over the next nine years, Multnomah County will receive an estimated total of $4.7 million to fund addiction prevention and recovery programs from a settlement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, L.P., for their role in fueling the national opioid crisis.
Under the settlement, the Sacklers will pay up to $6.5 billion, and their company, Purdue Pharma, L.P., will pay up to $900 million. The State of Oregon and its municipalities have joined a coalition of states that will accept the $7.4 billion total settlement, subject to final approval by bankruptcy courts. Of the $66 million payment coming to Oregon, 45% will go to the Oregon Health Authority and 55% will be disbursed to Oregon local governments.
“This additional funding is a critical piece of our ongoing response to the opioid crisis that has devastated families and communities across Multnomah County,” said Health Department Director Rachael Banks. “The County will strategically invest every dollar into evidence-based programs that save lives, support recovery and build a stronger, healthier Multnomah County for all.”
“This settlement is a direct result of our collaborative efforts to hold these large corporations who profited from this deadly epidemic accountable,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “While no amount of money can ever replace the lives lost or repair the devastation caused, these settlement dollars are a crucial resource to help our community heal.”
Since fiscal year 2023, the County has received over $17 million in direct payments to fund ongoing efforts to support people in addiction treatment and recovery. This most recent settlement brings the total amount the County has received from national lawsuits against several opioid pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers for their role in the opioid crisis to approximately $50 million.
The County budgets opioid settlement dollars in a way that tries to anticipate and plan for disbursements over time so that programs can be reliably funded instead of relying on volatile windfall dollars that cannot support ongoing services. The money from prior opioid settlement payments has gone to fund recovery and stabilization beds, substance use disorder continuum services, recovery support services, naloxone distribution and training, and public awareness campaigns like Expect Fentanyl and Recovery Takes CommUNITY.