Title
Opioid Litigation Settlement
Action
Action:
A. Adopt a resolution approving a Memorandum of Agreement with the State of North Carolina regarding proceeds relating to the settlement of the opioid litigation and any subsequent settlement funds that may be allocated to the City as a result of the Opioid crisis, and
B. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute all documents necessary to complete the settlement.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Patrick Baker, City Attorney's Office
Lina James, City Attorney's Office
Explanation
* As of 2019, the opioid epidemic had taken the lives of more than 16,500 North Carolinians.
* The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the opioid crisis, increasing levels of drug misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths.
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the cost of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
* Along with other counties and municipalities in North Carolina (NC), Mecklenburg County joined with local governments across the country to file a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical distribution companies to hold these companies accountable for misconduct. The City of Charlotte is not a party to the litigation.
* Collectively, representatives of NC local governments, the NC County Commissioners, and the NC Department of Justice have negotiated an MOA to provide for the equitable distribution of any proceeds resulting from a national settlement of the Opioid litigation to the State of North Carolina and to individual local governments, should an agreement be reached.
* This action will help maximize North Carolina's share of opioid settlement funds to ensure the needed resources reach communities once settlement negotiations are finalized.
* The MOA directs substantial resources over multiple years to local govern...
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