By District Attorney Ryan Sayers
2023 Vol. 37
As I stated last week, I received a few questions at the drug overdose and addiction awareness event in Clearfield on Labor Day Weekend.
This week I want to address the question of, “what are you doing with the proceeds from the Opioid Settlement?”
A few weeks ago in Vol. 34, I spoke about the settlement from the lawsuit that I filed against Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and other opioid distributors and manufacturers.
The District Attorney’s Office will be receiving approximately $561,000 over the next 18 years, and that is in addition to the approximately $2.7 million that the Clearfield County Commissioners are to receive over that said period of time.
A portion of these funds will be provided each year for the 18 years and each portion has to be spent within 18 months of receipt.
For example, the funds that were received in September of 2022, have to be spent by March of 2024.
As part of the settlement, the parties agreed that there were certain purposes that these funds could be used for in regards to the opioid crisis, and these are set forth in “Exhibit E.”
A copy of “Exhibit E” can be found at https://paopioidtrust.org/. Also, since the trust is going to be audited and monitored by a board of trustees, individual claimants can request permission and/or clarification on expenditures that they wish to make with the proceeds.
As an example of this, the Clearfield County Commissioners recently requested permission from the trustees to use their first year funds to purchase a body scanner for the Clearfield County Jail.
This would be another tool to help ensure that drugs do not get into the jail, which would help to ensure that individuals in the jail can start on a path to sobriety while incarcerated.
I received approximately $56,000 from the first year checks. So far, I have provided the commissioners with $50,000 to be used for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) at the Clearfield County Jail, which is specifically listed in the “Exhibit E.”
Additionally, “Exhibit E” not only states that the funds can be used to help individuals who are wanting to break the cycle of addition, but can also be used for prevention and education.
That is why I am in the process of providing funds to help host an educational program for local school students about the dangers of drugs and drug use.
Next week, I will continue with another question that I received at the drug overdose and addiction awareness event, and if you have any questions that you would like answered in this weekly article before the end of the year, please feel free to e-mail districtattorney@clearfieldco.org.
Ryan Sayers is the elected District Attorney of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
The information contained in this article is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
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