KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti this week announced that the state is set to receive nine million dollars from a $350 million national settlement with marketing firm Publicis.
According to date from TN.gov, Tennessee ranks second in the nation for opioid use, with East Tennessee having the highest consumption in the state.
“The opioid crisis is killing five Tennesseans a day roughly and we need to do everything we can to bring that number down,” Skrmetti said. “And to protect people not just from dying, but from having their lives ruined, their families ruined.”
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Skrmetti said all of the money brought in from the settlement will be going towards that cause.
“This is money going into the opioid abatement fund, which means it’s only going to be used to fight back against the opioid epidemic,” Skrmetti said. “We have experts on the fund to figure out where the best grant opportunities are and they’re going to steer that money there.”