WARREN COUNTY, NY -- Warren County will receive a minimum of $152,544 to treat, reduce and prevent opioid use through a court settlement that the Warren County Board of Supervisors has reached with a maker of prescription opioids.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors has settled a claim with Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, which will provide a base financial award as well as possible escalation of payments that could result in additional funding.
The funding is part of a $98 million settlement that Johnson & Johnson/Janssen reached in New York State to finalize litigation pertaining to the company’s alleged role in the increase of use and abuse of opioids. The drugs have been blamed for countless overdose deaths.
The Board of Supervisors will decide in the coming months how the funding can be best used to help the agencies and programs that are working with those who are confronting opioid addiction. Settlement funds can be used for drug treatment, education and law enforcement-related purposes.
Said Rachel Seeber, Chairwoman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors: “No amount of money can bring back the lives lost to opioid addiction, or undo the pain suffered by their loved ones. But the Warren County Board of Supervisors is committed to using this money to have the biggest impact by increasing funding for addiction programs, including expansion of the network to support those who need help, and increasing our prevention efforts.”
Said Carrie Wright, co-chair of the Warren/Washington Counties Criminal Justice and Community Services Task Force: “The Criminal Justice and Community Task Force is encouraged to see the opioid settlement funding that will soon be available to help prevent, reduce and address the ongoing issue of opioid use in our communities. Our Task Force is committed to helping address the stigma, education and support for families, friends and those that have struggled with substance use throughout our county. We feel strongly that if we are able to continue enhancing prevention and harm reduction resources with the use of these funds, we can address some of the barriers that individuals and families are faced with in the ongoing opioid epidemic.”
A similar lawsuit brought by Warren County against opioid maker Purdue Pharma remains pending.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors will hold public meetings in the future to discuss how to dedicate this funding. Dates for these meetings have not yet been set.
As part of their ongoing effort to educate the public about the opioid use epidemic, Warren County and the City of Glens Falls recently created an online “overdose response dashboard” that breaks down 2021 overdoses by drug type, community, age of the individual and whether there was a fatality.