Johnson & Johnson to Pay $99 Million Settlement to West Virginia Over Opioid Crisis

According to CCTV Finance, on the 18th local time, Johnson & Johnson reached a settlement agreement with West Virginia. According to the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will pay $99 million (approximately RMB 630 million) to West Virginia, and West Virginia will no longer pursue Johnson & Johnson's responsibility in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Johnson & Johnson Reaches $99 Million Opioid Settlement with West Virginia

Previously, Johnson & Johnson was sued by various states in the U.S. for its role in the opioid epidemic. Later, a settlement was reached where Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay a fine of $5 billion, approximately 31.8 billion RMB, in exchange for the states ceasing to pursue liability against the company. However, five states, including West Virginia, opted out of the agreement and filed independent lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. The Attorney General of West Virginia stated that if the state had joined the nationwide settlement offered by Johnson & Johnson, it would have only received $50 million, approximately 310 million RMB. Now, having secured a settlement of $99 million, approximately 630 million RMB, demonstrates that opting out of the agreement was the right decision.

It is reported that opioid drugs, including cocaine, methadone, morphine, fentanyl, etc., are mainly used to suppress pain, and repeated use can easily lead to addiction.

In recent years, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States has exceeded the combined total of deaths from car accidents and gun violence.

U.S. Opioid Epidemic: According to a report by The New York Times on the 17th, a 10-month-old baby girl in New York City recently died from an overdose of fentanyl and heroin. The baby's father was summoned by the police on charges of negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.

On the 18th local time, according to Fox News citing a warning letter from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the number of deaths in the United States due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, exceeded the total number of deaths from firearms and car accidents in 2021.

Another dataset shows that in 2020, more than 60% of drug overdose deaths in the United States were related to the opioid fentanyl, with an additional approximately 13,000 deaths attributed to heroin overdose.

U.S. Government's Response to Opioid Abuse Crisis Cannot Be Delayed

In response to the deep opioid addiction crisis in the United States, local public opinion believes that the U.S. government's response to the opioid crisis is urgent.

U.S. Newsweek stated on the 18th that the opioid crisis will only end when people stop abusing them. The United States must guide the public to recognize the destructive nature of opioid addiction and take measures such as reducing supply and providing treatment to minimize the harm these drugs bring to the American people.