INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Wednesday announced a $507 million settlement with drug companies to help Hoosiers struggling with the effects of the opioid epidemic.
The settlement is part of a $26 billion agreement settling allegations of 46 states and many local governments against four companies: opioid manufacturer and marketer Johnson & Johnson and pharmaceutical distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
“No amount of money will ever compensate families for the loss of loved ones,” Rokita said in a press release. “But a settlement of this magnitude helps prevent similar types of corporate irresponsibility from ever happening again.”
Rokita’s office said the settlement funds will support “local law enforcement efforts, drug task forces, regional treatment hubs and early intervention and crisis support, among other important programs.”
To be specific, 70% of the funds are designated for opioid abatement efforts in local communities, Rokita’s office said. State leaders will decide how to spend half that amount, while local governments choose how to allocate the other half. The remaining 30% will also be split evenly between state and local communities and is labeled as “no strings attached,” meaning leaders can spend the money on whatever they decide in best.
