The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved using $609,699 from an opioid settlement to hire staff for the city’s drug enforcement team.
The city has received $3.2 million in such settlement funds as part of suits brought against the companies that profited from the nation’s opioid epidemic, according to city officials.
City attorney Nicole King told the council that the money approved Tuesday comes from a $97.6 million settlement with six pharmaceutical supply chain companies. Those companies are Associated Pharmacies Inc.; J M Smith Corp.; Louisiana Wholesale Drug Co.; Morris and Dickson Co.; North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Co.; and United Natural Foods Inc…