Since I took the oath of office, our department has prioritized litigation against companies who have contributed to the opioid addiction crisis, including leading a nationwide action against McKinsey & Company for their role in turbocharging the opioid epidemic, driving a better settlement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, and reaching a multibillion settlement with Johnson & Johnson and the nation’s three largest drug distribution companies that fueled the crisis.
Last week, we reached a milestone in Colorado’s response to this epidemic with the introduction of a collaborative framework, reflecting 18 months of work with local governments, to invest the $400 million from these settlements won by our office for the state of Colorado.
We now have critical work to do—working with our local government partners—to ensure that the funds from these settlements are used effectively to abate this epidemic.
We are now positioned to provide more drug treatment facilities--and we currently have only 16% of the drug treatment capacity that we need. Here’s an op-ed I wrote for the Colorado Springs Gazette that outlines how we are approaching this transformative opportunity. And here’s a local news story about our press conference and the rollout of this plan.
The opioid crisis is 25 years in the making. It started in the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma and other companies who pushed out these dangerous drugs, and it is still devastating lives, families, and communities here in Colorado. Painfully, we have lost 7,600 Coloradans during the last 25 years.
I have heard from families who have lost loved ones to overdose across our state. To honor the memories of those who have passed, we need to do all we can to save lives and help end our reliance on the criminal justice system for a crisis it is not equipped to handle.
This is a critical milestone. And we still have important work to do, pursuing ongoing investigations and ensuring that these funds are used appropriately. Thank you for your support and helping me do this critical work.
Phil |
