Washington state reaches a nearly $150 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over opioid crisis
The Washington state attorney general has announced a $149.5 million settlement agreement with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role in the opioid addiction crisis
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state attorney general announced a $149.5 million settlement Wednesday with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role in the opioid addiction crisis.
"They knew what the harm was. They did it anyway," Attorney General Bob Ferguson told reporters Wednesday.
The attorney general's announcement came as opioid overdose deaths more than doubled from 2019 to 2022, with 2,048 deaths recorded in 2022, according to the most recent numbers from the Washington State Department of Health.
Under the deal, the state and local governments would have to spend $123.3 million to address the opioid crisis, including on substance abuse treatment, expanded access to overdose-reversal drugs and services that support pregnant women on substances. The rest of the money would go toward litigation costs.
