|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In San Mateo County, over 24 million opioid pills, 43 per adult, are prescribed to and filled by residents in a year, a County Health System factsheet states.
The opioid crisis in the U.S. has been sweeping and tangible, and San Mateo County has not been immune. However, as of last week, the county is now poised to receive nearly $50 million for prevention, treatment and recovery programs.
“In the face of widespread harm, public institutions have a responsibility to act,” said county Counsel John Nibbelin. “While no litigation outcome can undo the devastating consequences of the opioid crisis, this resolution ensures accountability and directs resources to the communities that have borne the impact.”
San Mateo County was one of the first government entities to take legal action against Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin, and the Sackler family, which used to own it. Purdue Pharma generated around $35 billion from OxyContin since it first hit shelves at the end of the 20th century, according to David and Kathe Sackler at a 2020 congressional hearing.
The county joined this national, multi-district lawsuit in February of 2019, which snowballed to include 600 plaintiffs in the years since. Plaintiffs include cities, counties and Native American tribes.
Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in September 2019, and the Sackler family sought immunity from future opioid-related litigation, which San Mateo County opposed. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately struck down the immunity plan in 2024, which spurred new negotiations and a $7.4 billion nationwide settlement that crystalized last January.
A federal bankruptcy judge approved Purdue Pharma’s restructured settlement plan in November, which means San Mateo County will receive about $3.3 million in long-term remediation payments from the Sacklers and $1.5 million from Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy estate. These payments would increase the county’s pot of state and national opioid settlement funds to $49 million.
Existing settlement funds have already been used to increase access to overdose-reversal medications, strengthen county jail addiction services, expand treatment capacity at San Mateo Medical Center, and provide more resources to the Redwood City Navigation Center for people experiencing homelessness.
OxyContin first hit the shelves in 1996 and contributed to the more than 800,000 deaths from opioid use in the U.S. from 1999 to 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Considered a major catalyst to the opioid epidemic, OxyContin can become addictive within one week of use, the county Health System warns.
While opioids can help with short-term pain, the Health System website states, research shows that opioids are “not an optimal treatment for chronic pain.” Long-term use only increases risk of dependence and subsequent substance misuse. Opioids can be highly addictive even for people who have no history of substance use disorders.
Other kinds of opioids that are commonly prescribed, according to the county Health System, include hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl and codeine, which are commonly known by their brand names, like Vicodin, Percocet, Duragesic, Fentora and Norco.
“While no financial recovery can repair the loss of life,” Health Chief Colleen Chawla said, “these funds will help us deliver essential, life-saving services, and ensure our response remains grounded in compassion, equity, and accountability.”
San Mateo County encourages folks not to start taking opioids without a plan to stop, and to talk to a doctor or call their Behavioral Health and Recovery Services at (800) 686-0101 if you or someone you know might be dependent on opioids.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify the number of deaths from opioid use in the U.S. from 1999 to 2023.
