Henderson City Council Approves $561K Opioid Settlement

The Henderson City Council has approved the receipt of $561,620.86 as part of a settlement related to litigation against the Sackler family, a key player in the nationwide opioid epidemic. The city was originally awarded $748,827.82, but after legal fees, the amount designated for Henderson will be less. This settlement is part of a broader agreement involving a total of $7.4 billion with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, which has faced extensive legal challenges due to its role in the opioid crisis.

During a recent council meeting, members unanimously voted to approve the settlement, which was included in the consent agenda. Despite discussing redistricting proposals that caused some tensions, the council’s focus remained on the allocation of the settlement funds. Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero emphasized that the majority of the funds will be directed towards supporting those struggling with drug addiction and substance use disorders. She stated, “We actually have a policy that outlines what we can and can’t use it for, but the vast majority of it goes toward help for people that have abuse problems.”

Funding for Opioid Crisis Mitigation

Specific details regarding the fund allocation were not fully explored during the meeting. However, attached documents indicated that the settlement funds could be utilized for various initiatives, including expanding training for the use of Naxolone, a medication administered to reverse opioid overdoses, as well as increasing its distribution in the community.

Within the context of the settlement, Henderson’s compensation ranks sixth among Nevada governmental entities. The state of Nevada leads with a net allocation of $19.9 million, followed by Clark County with $16.3 million, Washoe County at $2.2 million, and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas with $1.2 million and $591,829, respectively. In total, the state secured approximately $44.5 million from the Sackler family settlement, in addition to nearly $1.4 billion from litigation against other opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson and Walmart.

The distribution of these settlement funds is managed under the One Nevada Agreement, which is overseen by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. According to an annual report from the department, the funds are allocated into three categories: the Fund for a Resilient Nevada, which manages 43.86 percent of the recovered funds; local governments, which receive 38.77 percent; and a fund that matches local Medicaid funding, constituting the remaining 17.37 percent.

In a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford described the One Nevada Agreement as one of the significant achievements during his tenure. He remarked, “Through this agreement, local governments in Nevada have received funds to mitigate the opioid crisis in their communities.” This reflects the ongoing commitment to address the ramifications of the opioid epidemic and support local initiatives aimed at recovery and prevention.