Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has secured a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, with up to $108 million going to Massachusetts. The settlement, awaiting approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, aims to end the Sacklers’ control over opioid sales. Campbell stated, “The Sackler family will forever be remembered as a symbol of greed, profiting off pain to destroy countless lives across the Commonwealth and country,” according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Sacklers and Purdue have agreed to pay $1.5 billion and $900 million, respectively, for opioid addiction treatment and recovery over the next 15 years. Annual payments of $500 million will follow for two years, then $400 million after three years. Governor Maura Healey praised the resolution, which ends Purdue and the Sacklers’ involvement in the opioid crisis. Joanne Peterson of Learn to Cope emphasized the importance of the settlement for families seeking justice, adding, “With the release of Purdue’s documents, the public will be able to see the atrocity of the Sacklers’ actions.” The settlement will provide restitution to states, local governments, and individuals affected by the epidemic, as reported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts…