Northfield Joins Opioid Settlements worth as much as $296M For MN

NORTHFIELD, MN — Northfield is considered one of greater than 200 local governments across Minnesota that have signed on to participate in a $26 billion nationwide settlement with an opioid manufacturer and distributors. Dakota and Rice Counties additionally signed on.

Minnesota lawyer normal Keith Ellison joined the eleven-determine agreement in July, with the state in a position to declare up to $296 million over 18 years as a part of the agreements to end complaints against opioid brand Johnson & Johnson and the three principal distributors within the U.S. — Cardinal health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.

"No sum of money will ever be ample to make up for the hurt and destruction brought about by way of these agencies, however these ancient agreements are at least a measure of accountability, if no longer justice," Ellison pointed out Dec. 8 in a letter to elected officials during Minnesota.

States needed to signal onto the settlement agreements with the aid of mid-August, while local governments in participating states had until Jan. 2 to be a part of.

Tribal countries are negotiating separate settlements with Johnson & Johnson and the three distributors, based on the Minnesota legal professional prevalent's workplace.

below the phrases of the settlement, the three distributors have to pay up to $21 billion over 18 years, in accordance with the Minnesota attorney well-known's office. Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over 9 years, with as much as seventy five percent of that to be paid right through the primary three years of the agreement.

many of the money is earmarked for opioid treatment and prevention in states that joined the settlements.

taking part cities and counties could split up to $222 million of Minnesota's contract funds, with the state to spend the ultimate money on opioid abatement, according to the Minnesota lawyer well-known's office.

almost 5,500 Minnesotans died from opioid overdoses from 2000-2020, based on the branch of health.

Opioid-connected deaths in Minnesota reached an all-time high — 678 — in 2020, a fifty nine p.c boost from the 427 deaths recorded in 2019, public health data indicates.

Jason Addy contributed to this report.