Bridgeport, CT– Mayor Ganim announced today that Bridgeport has received a payment of $51,687 from the national “OPIOID Trust Settlement Funds.” The monies received and designated to the city’s Health Fund are a direct result of the city’s perseverance in fighting the opioid epidemic and its breach into Bridgeport communities.

In 2018 Mayor Joe Ganim partnered with Connecticut mayors and federal delegates to call on the United States Justice Department for support in the fight against opioid addiction. This fight included a lawsuit filed against opioid manufacturers pursued by cities and states. The lawsuit was filed against pharmaceutical companies who engage in irresponsible marketing techniques. These tactics are a way for manufacturers to boost profits by encouraging addiction. 

During that time Mayor Ganim said, “We have made the fight against opioid addiction a top priority in Bridgeport… The manufacturers cannot continue to undermine the progress we are trying to achieve which is why we are taking such a strong stand. A company’s profits should not be put above the health of the public.”

Councilman Jorge Cruz stated, “It's wonderful to know the City won the opioid settlement, and I'd really like to see some of the funds help people who are struggling with drug addiction and its effects.”

The opioid epidemic, now coupled with the fentanyl crisis are critical issues across the country targeting and killing our loved ones.  Today, Ganim shared the following, “This may be a small monetary win for the city, and certainly does not equate to the value of lives lost or impacted by the opioid epidemic. But the significance is massive and shows manufacturers and distributors that municipal leaders like me will not be silent, we will fight, and continue to rally to protect our residents and communities.”

“This is great news on the Opioid Settlement Bridgeport residents have died or become addicted to this opioid crisis. I hope they will use some of the settlement monies for treatment,” said Councilman Ernie Newton.

Background

On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, the National Prescription Opiate Litigation MDL Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, several State Attorneys General, and four major defendants announced agreement on terms of proposed nationwide settlements to resolve all Opioids litigation brought by states and local political subdivisions against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors: McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen (“Distributors”), and manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its parent company Johnson & Johnson (collectively, “J&J”). 

These settlements, if agreed and adopted, will provide substantial funds to states and subdivisions for abatement of the Opioids epidemic across the country and will impose transformative changes in the way the settling defendants conduct their business. Thousands of U.S. communities to receive opioid recovery funds from $26 billion global settlements as soon as May 2022. Settlement payments are based on cities population size https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/.

Over 90% of litigating local governments have confirmed participation in the global settlements approved by the “Big Three” drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, along with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.