FAIRBANKS, Alaska - In 2021 alone, Alaska lost 253 people to overdose. Of the 253, 196 of those deaths were opioid-related. That’s according to a Press release sent out by the State of Alaska Department of Law earlier this week.To reduce those numbers and put an end to the opioid crisis in Alaska, the State recently agreed to three multi-state settlements with opioid manufacturers and chain pharmacies.
Dahlstrom said with the hard work of state agencies and law enforcement, “We have seized some 2.45 million doses of illicit Fentanyl in an initiative that has saved countless, countless lives by getting that poison off of the streets.” According to the press release, the Walmart filing states, “This case arises from the worst man-made epidemic in modern medical history — an epidemic of addiction, overdose, and death caused by defendants’ flooding the United States, including the State of Alaska, with prescription opioids in violation of their common-law duties and obligations under the federal Controlled Substances Act and Alaska Controlled Substances Act .
In addition, The Alaska Department of Public Safety along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have seized over 212 pounds of illegal narcotics as part of a focused enforcement initiative that occurred across the state between May 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022. Mills said during the briefing there is a break-out in what political subdivision accounts will get, which is roughly 15%. The statewide abatement account and the state account will receive 85%.
The $70 million does not include the bankruptcies filed by the companies, and Mills added that some amounts are hard to confirm at this time. She said the State is still waiting what the final numbers will be through bankruptcy proceedings, “But we do expect those bankruptcy proceedings to likely be in excess of $20 million or so altogether.”