Weber County Signs $ 26 Billion Opioid Agreement, But The Future Of The Plan Is Unclear | News, sports, jobs

TOBY TALBOT, Associated Press

Weber County joined many other counties and cities from around the country on Thursday, May 24, 2018 to file a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and other opioid manufacturers. The companies are to blame for the opioid epidemic, according to the lawsuit, because company representatives knew about the addictive powers of opioids, but downplayed the dangers and instead intensified marketing efforts to maximize profits from the sale of the drugs. This February 19, 2013 file photo shows OxyContin pills being arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt.

OGDEN – Weber County is on board with a proposed settlement of opioid distributors and manufacturers in response to a number of lawsuits filed nationwide regarding the negative effects of prescription pain medication use and abuse.

The settlement provides for a nationwide distribution of up to $ 26 billion over 18 years to support drug treatment and substance abuse prevention efforts. According to Weber County Commissioner Scott Jenkins, Utah will receive up to $ 270 million of this, half of which will go to the state government and the other to the county governments.

In either case, specific details of how the funding will be distributed will need to be worked out, and the exact amount Utah will receive will depend on how many locations across the state approve the settlement proposal. Weber County filed lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors in 2nd District Court in Ogden in 2018, in parallel with movements from places across the country.

“Honestly, this thing is so fluid that I don’t know what to say about it,” said Jenkins. District officials, who voted 3-0 on Tuesday to participate in the settlement, would drop their pending opioid lawsuit if the deal is finally reached.

Some Davis County officials have expressed reluctance to sign the settlement, believing they could get more funding if they proceed with the lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors. “We were told we had an excellent case,” said Lorene Kamalu, Davis County Commissioner. “So far we want to stay on course.”

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings cited the lack of details on the settlement making it difficult to endorse the state’s proposal. “We really don’t have a solid deal ahead of us,” he said.

Jenkins said previous estimates put the amount Weber County could receive over 18 years at $ 600,000 to $ 700,000 a year. “You can put programs together with that kind of money,” he said.

However, exact dollar amounts have not been determined. Jenkins said the state would receive less than the full $ 270 million if all 29 counties did not join the settlement.

Weber County’s lawsuit, like others, alleging overuse and abuse of opioids such as OxyContin, a narcotic drug used as a pain reliever, has challenged the county and residents here. This is due to manufacturers and retailers who knew about the addictive powers of opioids, but downplayed the dangers and instead intensified marketing efforts to maximize profits from the sale of the drugs.

Utah and Salt Lake counties have approved the settlement proposal, Jenkins said. However, Grand County officials voted against participation last month, according to Moab Sun News.

Officials in cities in Utah have also looked into the issue and considered taking action to assist the settlement. Cities cannot get any part of the funding, however, as counties typically run drug rehabilitation and substance abuse prevention programs.

City involvement in the matter is primarily intended to gain some level of support for the settlement, as described by Roger Tew, a senior policy advisor to the Utah League of Cities and Towns. “We’re doing pretty well,” he said, with more and more cities expressing their support.

According to Weber County’s 2018 lawsuit, the overall death rate from opioid overdoses here, at 25.2 per 100,000 residents, surpassed the national rate of 23.4 per 100,000. Downtown Ogden had the highest opioid death rate per capita in Utah in 2014 and 2015 at 55.33 per 100,000, according to data from the Utah Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup. That was 41 dead.

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