Bridgeport Times

Bridgeport, CT–  Mayor Ganim announced today that Bridgeport has received a payment of  $51,687 from the national “OPIOID Trust Settlement Funds.” The monies  received and designated to the city’s Health Fund are a direct result of  the city’s perseverance in fighting the opioid epidemic and its breach  into Bridgeport communities.

In  2018 Mayor Joe Ganim partnered with Connecticut mayors and federal  delegates to call on the United States Justice Department for support in  the fight against opioid addiction. This fight included a lawsuit filed  against opioid manufacturers pursued by cities and states.  The lawsuit  was filed against pharmaceutical companies who engage in irresponsible  marketing techniques. These tactics are a way for manufacturers to boost  profits by encouraging addiction. 

During  that time Mayor Ganim said, “We have made the fight against opioid  addiction a top priority in Bridgeport… The manufacturers cannot  continue to undermine the progress we are trying to achieve which is why  we are taking such a strong stand. A company’s profits should not be  put above the health of the public.”

Councilman  Jorge Cruz stated, “It's wonderful to know the City won the opioid  settlement, and I'd really like to see some of the funds help people who  are struggling with drug addiction and its effects.”

The  opioid epidemic, now coupled with the fentanyl crisis are critical  issues across the country targeting and killing our loved ones.  Today,  Ganim shared the following, “This may be a small monetary win for the  city, and certainly does not equate to the value of lives lost or  impacted by the opioid epidemic. But the significance is massive and  shows manufacturers and distributors that municipal leaders like me will  not be silent, we will fight, and continue to rally to protect our  residents and communities.”

“This  is great news on the Opioid Settlement Bridgeport residents have died  or become addicted to this opioid crisis. I hope they will use some of  the settlement monies for treatment,” said Councilman Ernie Newton.

 

Background

On  Wednesday, July 21, 2021, the National Prescription Opiate Litigation  MDL Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, several State Attorneys General,  and four major defendants announced agreement on terms of proposed  nationwide settlements to resolve all Opioids litigation brought by  states and local political subdivisions against the three largest  pharmaceutical distributors: McKesson, Cardinal Health and  AmerisourceBergen (“Distributors”), and manufacturer Janssen  Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its parent company Johnson & Johnson  (collectively, “J&J”). 

These  settlements, if agreed and adopted, will provide substantial funds to  states and subdivisions for abatement of the Opioids epidemic across the  country and will impose transformative changes in the way the settling  defendants conduct their business. Thousands of U.S. communities to  receive opioid recovery funds from $26 billion global settlements as  soon as May 2022.   Settlement payments are based on cities population  size https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/.

Over  90% of litigating local governments have confirmed participation in the  global settlements approved by the “Big Three” drug distributors  AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, along with opioid  manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. 

Original source can be found here.