Before NY Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the major pharmaceutical companies for the sales of Opioids which led to addiction and death for many, in 2019 the City of Yonkers filed a lawsuit against big pharma in an attempt to secure funds to help those in Yonkers affected by the Opioid epidemic.
Yonkers City Councilman John Rubbo not only supported the lawsuit, but has worked for the past four years to make sure that Yonkers gets its fair share to help in Opioid treatment and prevention. “When I first spoke to Mayor Spano about this epidemic early in my first term in February 2018, he embraced the idea of seeking justice on behalf of all of Yonkers. This problem has touched communities all across the country and it is time we address its effects on our city.”
Millions of dollars each year are spent by taxpayers to provide and pay for health care, services, pharmaceutical care and other necessary services and programs on behalf of residents who are indigent or otherwise eligible for services, including payments through services such as Medicaid for prescription opioids that are manufactured, marketed, promoted, sold and/ordistributed by Purdue Pharma. The City of Yonkers also provides a wide range of other services to its residents, including law enforcement, services for families and children, and public assistance as a result of those addicted to opioids.
Rubbo explained that the City met with two different law firms and began the process of filing a lawsuit. “It was a big waiting game, waiting the courts and working towards a settlement.” Eventually, AG James got all of the communities in NY State who had filed suit to join in New York State’s action against Big Pharma. “I’m very proud that this was one of my first initiatives on the council. “We brought a lawsuit against Big Pharma to hold them accountable for the impact that opioid abuse has had in the City of Yonkers. I’m overwhelmed and excited by this settlement,” said Rubbo.
“We need to use this money and put it where its needed most, to those most in need, and not have these dollars go in the general fund.”
Yonkers has already received its first share of the settlement, in the amount of $383,564, with a total of more than $2 Million from the settlement going to Yonkers.
In 2022, the Hudson Valley will receive a total of $10.8 million and Westchester will receive a total of $5.8 million, with more than $380,000 going to Yonkers. These funds are the result of the $1.5 billion that Attorney General James has secured so far for New York state as a result of settlements with the manufacturers and distributors of opioids. All 62 counties and the five largest cities in the state will begin receiving funds this week, which will be used for opioid treatment and prevention efforts. The Hudson Valley and Westchester will receive up to $95 million in total over the years as part of these settlements.
“The opioid crisis has devastated communities in Yonkers, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley, but we are helping the communities heal by distributing more than $16.7 million for opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery,” said Attorney General James. “These funds will help us combat this crisis and ensure that those struggling with addiction get the support they need. While no amount of money will ever make up for the lives we’ve lost, these funds will be vital in helping to prevent future deaths and destruction.”
The first payments come from settlements with opioid distributors — AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., and McKesson Corporation.
