Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statements after bipartisan bills passed the Senate unanimously Thursday creating a structure to distribute Michigan’s $800 million share of the $26 billion national opioid settlement over the next several years.
“There is no amount of money that can fill the void left by a loved one, but with the investments we can make thanks to this historic settlement, we can ensure Michiganders facing substance use disorder have the support and resources they need to get better,” said Whitmer. “This legislation means Michigan families impacted by the devastating opioid epidemic will get some semblance of relief. These funds will bring millions of dollars to treat opioid use disorder, and support our neighbors, family, and friends in treatment and recovery.
“In 2019 alone, the Michigan Opioids Task Force I established found that opioid overdoses claimed the lives of 1,768 Michiganders—an average of five a day,” continued Whitmer. “I am grateful to Attorney General Dana Nessel and everyone who fought hard for this settlement. State and local governments across the country filed over 4,000 claims, resulting in the second largest such settlement in American history, after the tobacco settlement. If you or a loved one need opioid addiction treatment, there are resources to help.”
“On a personal note, I have spent the past couple months visiting communities and organizations around Michigan to learn more about the work being done to prevent and treat Opioid Use Disorder, and while local governments will receive direct payments, the timely deployment of state settlement dollars is crucial in the fight against opioids,” said Nessel. “Time is not on our side when it comes to Michigan’s opioid epidemic. I applaud our colleagues in the Senate for advancing the legislation today. The sooner we get this infrastructure in place, the quicker settlement dollars can be used to help our residents and communities that continue to struggle.”
Additional information about the opioid settlements is available on the Department of Attorney General’s website at www.michigan.gov/ag under “Initiatives.”
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