Illinois will receive a share of funds from a national $26 billion opioid settlement against pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, and pharmaceutical distributors Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen.
Paid out in increments over the next 18 years, Illinois’ $760 million settlement will be used to fund opioid addiction treatment and prevention programs. An advisory board will be created to determine which counties and municipalities have been most affected by opioid addiction and prioritize spending for such programs.
More than 2,200 opioid-related deaths were reported in Illinois in the first three quarters of 2020, a 36 percent increase from 2019.