Today, Attorney General Josh Stein announced that he has reached more than $50 billion in total national recoveries from the pharmaceutical industry for its role in the opioid crisis, including more than $1 billion for North Carolina. Statistics show that nearly 8 North Carolinians die every day from opioid overdose. 

“North Carolinians deserve to live a healthy and fulfilling life, but for far too long the opioid crisis has taken and torn apart far too many lives,” said NCDP Chair Bobbie Richardson. “I am thankful for the work that Attorney General Stein has accomplished leading these negotiations and securing more than $50 billion to hold companies accountable for fueling and profiting off of this crisis. This is a monumental milestone that will provide critical treatment and recovery services for the people who are struggling with substance use disorder.”

This announcement follows a historic $26 billion agreement reached in 2021, in which Attorney General Stein was a lead negotiator, that will bring desperately needed resources to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. 

Over the last several months, Attorney General Stein has been meeting with local county officials across the state to discuss allocation of settlement funds. Throughout these visits, Stein has emphasized the importance of providing money directly to counties so that they are able to make the best decisions about how to spend it at the local level, while prioritizing prevention, treatment, and recovery services that are proven to work.