- January 21, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Volusia County is hoping to control regional funds that will be made available as part of settlement plan in a class-action suit against Johnson and Johnson, also known as Janssen, for the pharmaceutical company's role in contributing to the opioid epidemic. Several cities, including Ormond Beach, entered into a memorandum of understanding to join the state in regards to the settlement back in July 2021.
On Monday, Jan. 10, the Roundtable of Volusia County Elected Officials — a meeting held at The Center at Deltona to allow for social distancing in light of increasing COVID-19 cases — were given an update on the litigation's status by Paola Soria, senior assistant county attorney, who stated that parties are currently working on a proposed settlement agreement.
"If that settlement agreement is adopted by both sides, the distributors will pay a maximum of $21 billion over 18 years throughout the entire United States, while Jansen will pay a maximum of $5 billion over nine years," Soria said.
A total of $22.8 billion could be payable to state and local municipalities. Florida's portion of the settlement funds are divided into three categories: A state fund, city/county funds, and regional funds. The region that includes Volusia County is slated to receive about 3.13% of the state's overall regional funds from the settlement. Interlocal agreements with a majority of municipalities will be needed as well for Volusia to be "qualified county" and keep local control of the regional funds.
On Dec. 14, the Volusia County Council adopted an Opioid Settlement Fund Abatement Plan to comply with the state's settlement requirements.As a result of the interlocal agreement with the cities, an Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board was created, and each participating local government will appoint one person to the board. On Thursday, Jan. 6, the County Council appointed District 3 Councilman Danny Robins for a two-year term.
The county's abatement plans states that Volusia County was one of the hardest hit in the state based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that two-thirds of the 70,900 people who died from drug overdoses in 2017 were linked to opioids. In 2018, Volusia County had 119 overdose deaths, which the plan states was higher than both the state and national averages that year.
The plan, which Soria said is broad for now, addresses options for supporting the treatment of opioid use disorder, efforts to prevent the misuse of opioids and opportunities to support opioid abatement research.
Soria said the payout of the settlement is expected sometime around July 2022. According to an Ormond Beach city memo addressed to the commission from July 20, 2021, the city's attorneys predicted funds available directly to the city will be about $22,000 for the first six years, $17,000 for the middle six years, and $12,000 for the last six years.
The first meeting of the Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board is aimed to take place in June, and the board will meet semi-annually.
“The first year or so of setting up the advisory board I imagine to be a little bit more busy than subsequent years," Soria said.
