NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Saturday that Johnson & Johnson will pay a record $230 million to New York State for its role in the opioid crisis.
The attorney general also says Johnson & Johnson is required to pay $30 million more in payments in the first year if the New York state executive chamber signs into law new legislation that creates an opioid settlement fund, and other criteria are met.
“The opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities across New York state and the rest of the nation, leaving millions still addicted to dangerous and deadly opioids,” said Attorney General James. “Johnson & Johnson helped fuel this fire, but today they’re committing to leaving the opioid business — not only in New York, but across the entire country. Opioids will no longer be manufactured or sold in the United States by J&J. We are also delivering up to $230 million to fund opioid prevention, treatment, and education efforts across New York state. While no amount of money will ever compensate for the thousands who lost their lives or became addicted to opioids across our state or provide solace to the countless families torn apart by this crisis, these funds will be used to prevent any future devastation. Our trial against the remaining defendants will commence this coming week, where we will lay bare the callous and deadly pattern of misconduct these companies perpetrated as they dealt dangerous and addictive opioids across our state. As always, our goal remains getting funds to those devastated by opioids as quickly as possible.”
You can read more about the settlement by clicking here.
