LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have responded to the way the national opioid settlement will be distributed in Michigan.
Michigan received $800 million of the $26 billion national opioid settlement. Bipartisan bills were passed in the Senate unanimously on Thursday, April 21, which created a structure to distribute the money 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 Governor 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.”
“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 opioid,” 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.”
“In 2019 alone, the Michigan Opioid Task Force I established found that opioid overdoses claimed the lives of 1,768 Michiganders – an average of five a day,” said 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.”
