KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County is set to add two new staffers to it’s ranks: One to administer the millions coming from the National Opioid Settlements, and the other to extend drug treatment programs into the jail.
Drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies responsible for dispensing Oxy-Contin and other painkillers triggered a national drug crisis which officials say has left tens of thousands of Americans dead, with 200 more dying every day.
Facing over 3,000 lawsuits, the responsible firms settled, rather than risk letting juries decide how much they should pay. And the total could be $50-billion.
Kalamazoo County’s share could be $12 to $18-million or more, and most of that will have to be spent on drug treatment and prevention programs. Commissioner Jen Strebs says they are planning a very public process to decide where that money goes.
She says funds have already been allocated for a community needs assessment.
“And [we have] a huge and growing list of community partners and organizations that will be engaged in discussion to help us figure out how we get our hands out into the community,” said Strebs, who along with officials stress that compliance will be complicated as some of the offending firms are still working on terms. Others will make lump-sum payments while others will be making annual payments over the next 18-years, with each one possibly having different stipulations on how it can be spent.
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