Maricopa County has received its first payment - $4.7 million - as part of a national settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The initial installment is part of an estimated $80 million the county will receive from drugmakers and distributors over the next 18 years for their role “in unlawfully marketing, promoting and dispensing prescription opioids,” a release stated.

“It’s truly heartbreaking how many lives have been lost, damaged or altered by opioid abuse and misuse in our community. These prescription drugs that were supposed to help have too often caused pain and suffering,” said Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

“While we can’t undo what’s been done, this money will allow us to aggressively combat this epidemic by funding evidence-based recovery and prevention programs.”

Approximately $2.3 million from the first payment will be distributed among cities and towns in Maricopa County using allocation percentages determined in the One Arizona Distribution of Opioid Settlement Funds Agreement. 

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health will serve as the lead agency for administration of county funds and will be responsible for arranging payments to municipalities.

“This historic settlement brings an unprecedented opportunity to save lives and reduce harms caused by substance use, especially among communities hardest hit by this epidemic,” said Marcy Flanagan, director of the health department.

“Our hope is that these settlements will support existing state and county grants in funding sustainable programming and infrastructure to assist both people battling with substance use addiction and preventing our next generation from ever becoming addicted in the first place.” 

Settlement funds must be spent using nationally recognized strategies to address the opioid epidemic, the release stated.

Approved uses include expenses related to the treatment of opioid use disorder, support for people in treatment and recovery, support for people who have or are at risk of developing opioid use disorder and prevention of overuse and misuse of opioids.

Opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 people in Maricopa County have gone up significantly since 2012 from 5.2 to 28.8 per 100,000 in 2021. During that time, overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl increased more than 6,000%, from 2.4 to 25.9 per 100,000, according to the county.

In both 2020 and 2021, about 91% of drug overdose deaths among those ages 15-24 involved synthetic opioids, officials said.

For more: maricopa.gov/SubstanceUse