Salem to Receive $1.3 Million for Response to Opioids Crisis

The City of Salem will receive approximately $1.3 million between this year and 2038 as part of a historic lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies responsible for the ongoing opioids crisis. The funds are part of a $526 million allocation being directed to Salem and the other roughly 150 Massachusetts municipalities that joined together to sue Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal, McKesson, and Amerisource Bergen for their roles in creating and exacerbating the opioids scourge impacting communities across the Commonwealth.

Salem’s allocations will vary between $60,000 and $150,000 per year over the sixteen-year agreement. All the funds will be directed toward opioid overdose prevention, education, and treatment.

“This is the first major award to the City in our ongoing legal efforts to hold accountable those companies responsible for profiting off of and furthering the opioids crisis in the community, but I am hopeful it will not be the last” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “Other litigation against additional companies is continuing through the legal process and may, if resolved in the City’s favor, result in additional settlement amounts to fund this important work. Working in collaboration with our colleagues in other cities and towns, and our partners at the state level, we will hold these corporations accountable for the harm they have caused to our families and our community.”

“Salem will leverage these funds to expand and strengthen our existing public health efforts targeting the opioid epidemic,” said David Greenbaum, Salem’s Health Agent. “These resources will enable us to invest more in overdose prevention and treatment, public education, and other initiatives aimed at reducing addiction to opioids and caring for those who are suffering from this crisis.”