LIHU‘E — Gov. David Ige and the mayors of Hawai‘i’s counties announced Tuesday that an advisory committee will determine the recommended uses for $78 million in opioid-settlement funds.
The funding is part of $26 billion in nationwide settlements to resolve lawsuits against opioid manufacturers Johnson &Johnson, Endo and Teva, and major pharmaceutical distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.
The state and counties signed a memorandum of agreement which determined that 85% of the opioid-settlement funds will be spent in consultation with the advisory committee, which will be composed of equal numbers of state and county representatives.
Each year, at least 15% of the total will be spent at the local level, and each county will determine how its respective share is spent.
The counties also agreed to use 85% of the funds for opioid treatment, prevention and education, as well as other abatement measures and strategies, while the other 15% will be used for treatment, prevention and education regarding other substances.
“We are grateful to Gov. Ige, the Attorney General’s office, our county attorneys, our health-care providers and our entire community for holding these major pharmaceutical companies accountable and coming together to find a path forward in response to Hawai‘i’s opioid crisis,” said Mayor Derek Kawakami.
“This resolution will directly benefit each of our communities across the state, touching the lives of our families, friends and loved ones. Addiction is a lifelong struggle, one that must be conquered daily,” said Kawakami.
“But today’s announcement gives families hope that help is coming, and more will be done to prevent others from facing the devastating impacts of opioids and other prevalent drugs.”
Data from Hawai‘i Health Matters showed that Kaua‘i had 16 drug and opioid overdoses per 100,000 people between 2018 and 2020, the highest among the neighbor islands. In 2021, the county saw five overdose deaths in one month.
Details on how and when the funding will be spent remain hazy.
The county reported Tuesday that it was awaiting more details on how much funding they would receive before they decide how it will be spent.
The governor’s office did not have an estimate for when the funding would be released.
The settlement was reached in 2021, as a result of thousands of claims that these companies’ business practices helped fuel the deadly opioid crisis.
None of the companies involved acknowledged any wrongdoing for their role in the manufacture and distribution of opioids, which casued nationwide surges in addiction and overdoses.
Hawai‘i’s portion of these settlements was determined by a formula that takes into account the population and impact of the opioid crisis in the state.
The $78 million includes approximately $63 million over 18 years from the three major distributors and $15 million over nine years from the Johnson &Johnson settlement.
“Too many of us know children, spouses, neighbors or colleagues who are suffering every day from the impacts of drug addiction and misuse,” said Ige.
“I want to thank our mayors and our community, health-care and government stakeholders who have come together to help the people of Hawai‘i. Our efforts will be successful because all stakeholders are working closely together to achieve success,” said Ige.
Other anticipated settlements with major drug makers will contribute millions more to the state and counties’ abatement efforts, the Governor’s Office said. In addition, cases against and investigations into other opioid actors are ongoing, and Hawai‘i could see millions more when these are concluded.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
