Salem, Oregon – Oregon might get up to $66 million as part of a big legal settlement that settles long-standing claims against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, who played a big role in the national opioid epidemic. Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced the agreement, which is part of a larger $7.4 billion settlement involving a group of states that want to hold people accountable and make up for the damage caused by opioid abuse.
The arrangement says that the Sackler family, who owns Purdue Pharma (the company that makes OxyContin), will give up to $6.5 billion. The company itself is likely to pay up to $900 million. Even while the deal still needs final approval through a lengthy bankruptcy procedure, Oregon’s formal acceptance marks a huge step forward in the years-long legal fight to hold individuals responsible for the opioid crisis accountable.
“We will not stop fighting to hold opioid companies accountable for the devastation they’ve caused,” Rayfield said. “Oregon families deserve justice, and every dollar we recover will go toward healing our communities and building a future free from this crisis.”
Oregon got a faster payout timeline of just nine years, unlike most states, which will get payouts over a period of 16 years. The state will get $66 million, and 45% of that will go to the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Fund, which the Oregon Legislature set up in 2022. The other 55% will be given to cities and counties to improve services in their areas.
Oregon communities are already using money from earlier settlements. For example, in Clackamas County, money has gone to jail-based detox programs, medication-assisted treatment, school prevention programs, and peer-based recovery services. With the extra money coming in, these kinds of efforts are likely to grow and get stronger all around the state.
Rayfield stressed that the settlement’s goal is more than just giving money; it’s about rebuilding lives and communities.
“It’s about helping the communities that have carried the weight of the opioid crisis for too long and making sure the companies that helped cause this damage are held responsible. It means more money for resources for treatment, prevention, and support.,” he said.
The new settlement adds to the total amount of money that Oregon has recovered. Since the middle of 2021, the state has gotten around $645 million in settlements from drug makers, distributors, and stores that were involved in the opioid crisis.
If the court agrees, the deal would finally provide the people and governments struck hardest by the opioid epidemic the money they need. It will bring both resources and a sense of justice to a crisis that has affected almost every part of Oregon.
