Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III on Thursday marked a key milestone in the $26 billion opioid agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and Johnson & Johnson over the companies’ role in creating and fueling the nationwide opioid crisis. Following the 52 states and territories signing on to the agreement since July, thousands of local governments have joined during the subdivision sign-on period. In Tennessee, more than 150 local governments have joined the settlements, including every county and all cities with populations of 25,000 or more.
General Slatery said, “Today we have every reason to be encouraged: we have impressive participation, nationally and locally, to get this settlement across the finish line. There are really too many people to thank, but a point I want to emphasize is the way my AG colleagues from very different political positions put those differences aside and worked really hard to tackle a problem common to all states, territories, and localities. Another key factor was how the Governor’s team, the leadership and legislative sponsors in the General Assembly, and the local governments acted quickly to put a structure in place to effectively use the settlement funds."
“Every Tennessee family has felt the devastating impacts of the opioid crisis, and thanks to a united effort from state and local partners, significant relief is on the way,” said Governor Bill Lee. “I’m grateful for Attorney General Slatery’s strong leadership in securing these resources that will help thousands of Tennesseans recover and spread hope in our communities.
Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Marie Williams, LCSW said, “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work Attorney General Herbert Slatery and his team have put in on this monumental task to make sure that Tennesseans will be able to access effective, quality treatment services in response to the addiction issues caused by the opioid crisis. The partnership behind this settlement with support from our Governor, our General Assembly, our department, and our resilient and talented substance use disorder treatment providers across the state is going to build a brighter day for Tennesseans who are addicted to opioids. We know that treatment works, and we stand ready to help these men, women, moms, fathers, sons, and daughters return to fruitful, productive, healthy lives in communities across our state."
The attorneys general of North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas led negotiations for the agreements. Their statement can be read here.