The US state of Georgia announced in a statement on Friday that it has signed on to the $26 billion multi-state settlement with opioid producer Johnson & Johnson, as well as with the pharmaceutical distributors Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th January, 2022) The US state of Georgia announced in a statement on Friday that it has signed on to the $26 billion multi-state settlement with opioid producer Johnson & Johnson, as well as with the pharmaceutical distributors Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
"Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the state of Georgia has signed on to the $26 billion multi-state agreement with Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen - the nation's three major pharmaceutical distributors - and opioid manufacturer and marketer Johnson & Johnson," the statement said.
Carr said the authorities are dedicated to holding those accountable who have played a critical role in contributing to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States.
"Today's announcement is the result of our tireless efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for our state and fellow citizens. This includes working with our litigating local governments so that our state is positioned to maximize its recovery under this settlement. We are confident that joining the settlement at this time will prove beneficial to our state, our citizens and our communities, as we continue our fight to end this epidemic and address the widespread damage it has caused," Carr said.
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before.
Many of the victims either overdosed on prescription opioids or initially became addicted to prescribed painkillers and later switched to deadly black-market alternatives such as heroin.
