OLYMPIA, WA – (MyBellinghamNow.com) After rejecting the 2021 multistate lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Attorney General Bob Ferguson secured nearly $150 million for Washington from the corporation. They will pay the money as reparations for their contribution to the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Initially, Washington would receive almost $99 million, but AG Ferguson’s second suit brought an extra $24.4 million. The extra money will go to combatting the fentanyl epidemic currently impacting Washington. According to Attorney General’s Office Communications Director Brionna Aho, the litigation costs for the case totaled $26.6 million.

According to the Washington Department of Health, an average rate of 23 people died from fentanyl overdoses per 100,000 people in 2022. In 2023, Washington saw one of the highest single year increases in reported fentanyl deaths in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control reported nearly 3,500 deaths in August of 2023, showing a 37% increase in a year’s time.

A county map graphic of Washington, showing the age-adjusted rate of fentanyl overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. Graphic courtesy of the Washington Dept. of Health.

J&J’s role in the epidemic stretches back to the 1990s, when it began manufacturing and then selling the active ingredients in opioid drugs. In 2015, J&J was the top U.S. supplier for these ingredients. According to an AG press release, the corporation’s aggressive advertisement campaigns downplayed the risk of addiction to opioids and overstated the effectiveness of the drugs to treat pain.

AG Ferguson has rejected settlements with five corporations, bringing in a total $200 million to the state. Now, $1.2 billion in recovered funds will go to providing resources for addressing the epidemic.

J&J will have 21 days to pay the state the total $150 million after the local governments ratify the settlement by May 2024. Ferguson will send half of over $123 million to local government, aiding their efforts in combatting their share of the epidemic.