DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Information
TITLE
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Dakota County Opioid Settlement Response Update
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Receive updates related to the Minnesota Opioid Settlement.
SUMMARY
Over the past several years opioid misuse and dependence have reached epidemic levels, causing Dakota County and other local governments to expend significant public dollars to combat this public health crisis. Between 2000 and 2020, 378 Dakota County residents died from opioid-involved overdoses rising from two to 36 cases annually for a total of 378 for this period. From 2016 to 2020, the number of nonfatal opioid overdose emergency room visits increased from 88 in 2016 to 211 in 2020 for a total of 647 for this period. In 2018, the Office of Performance & Analysis (OPA) compiled key statistics on the effects of opioid misuse across Dakota County which were recently updated in 2022 (Attachment: Opioid OPA Summary Data).
Pharmaceutical manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson and opioid distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmericsourceBergen were engaged in marketing efforts to encourage doctors to prescribe opioid drugs and it is alleged they misrepresented the risk of addiction which resulted in over 3,000 state and local lawsuits. By Resolution No. 17-671 (December 12, 2017), the County Board authorized the County Attorney's office (CAO) to commence civil action against companies responsible for the opioid epidemic and the CAO led the work for the multi-state opioid litigation process for Dakota County. By Resolution No. 21-619 (December 14, 2021), the County Board authorized the participation in the multistate settlements relating to opioid distributors and manufacturers and supported the Memorandum of Agreement which allocates 25 percent of the settlement funds directly to the state and 75 percent directly to participating local governments. (Attachment: Summary of Distributors and Johnson & Johnson Settlement).
Dakota County will recei...
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