EVERETT — Snohomish County’s portion of a new $16 million opioid settlement is still unknown, but the plan for the funds is already in place.
On July 10, the Washington State Attorney General’s office announced $720 million in nationwide settlements with eight drugmakers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis. The state could receive more than $16 million, a release said.
Snohomish County and its cities will split half of the settlement, with the other half going to the state.
Most of the money must go toward fighting opioid abuse as part of the settlement. The county will fund naloxone training, better drug data visibility and investments in community-based, non-governmental organizations that specialize in opioid prevention and recovery, according to Kari Bray, spokesperson for the County Executive office.
In 2023, County Executive Dave Somers set the spending plan in motion before the county procured more than $51 million, paid out over 10 to 20 years.
In 2024, the county secured $28.9 million, received in segments over 17 years. Recovery groups, including Volunteers of America Western Washington and Advocate Recovery Services, collected payouts from this settlement.
Since 2022, Washington state has secured $1.3 billion from opioid settlements, according to the Attorney General’s release.
These numbers seem large, but Snohomish County has only received about $10.3 million, Bray wrote in an email.
“While you may see a large number attributed to a settlement,” Bray said, “the annual amount we receive sometimes is much smaller when, for example, a payout occurs over 10 to 15 years.”
Because money is received annually from older settlements, the spending plan accounted for future settlements, Bray said. The programs are evaluated every year, and the Executive’s office can recommend changes to the county’s biennial budget before Oct. 1.
The companies listed on the most recent settlement include Mylan (now part of Viatris), Hikma and Amneal. All eight payouts are on different timelines, with one split up through nine years and the longest lasting 10 years.
Because there are multiple settlements and various timelines, Snohomish County’s total cut is difficult to calculate, Bray said. “I hope to have more detailed information in the future that we can share with the community.”
A previous round of settlements, Bray wrote, including the companies CVS, Allergan and Teva, combined for $13.2 million. Snohomish County’s portion was $775,000.
Once the county takes its share, the rest is distributed to the cities, which have their own initiatives and programs funded in part by opioid settlements.
In Everett, a drug task force convened in early 2024, and shortly after, the city launched EMOTE, a team that provides medical attention to vulnerable individuals on the street. Also, Everett created an alternative crisis response team called CARE to free up police and fire resources.
“[We] aim to improve public safety and support the city’s most vulnerable populations, ensuring a safer and healthier Everett for all residents,” said Simone Tarver, a spokesperson for the city of Everett.
In June 2024, Monroe and Darrington hosted community conversations to help alleviate the stigma of opioid addiction.
Local governments have a 90-day period to sign onto the settlement once it is finalized, according to Mike Faulk, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office. The final deadline has not been set.
Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay
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