Alaska is set to receive up to $12.2 million over the next 15 years as part of the national Purdue Pharma opioid settlement, state officials announced. Attorney General Treg Taylor confirmed that Alaska has joined the historic $7.4 billion agreement, which includes participation from all 55 eligible attorneys general.
The deal ends the Sackler family’s control of Purdue Pharma and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Under Sackler’s ownership, Purdue spent decades marketing opioids like OxyContin, intensifying the country’s worst-ever drug crisis. This latest settlement, the largest of its kind with individuals tied to the epidemic, aims to help communities recover.
According to Taylor’s office, most of Alaska’s share will arrive within the next three years, and statewide opioid response programs will be funded. State and local leaders must evenly split the funds and spend them strictly on combating opioid addiction and its consequences.
Alaska Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg said the money would support essential programs for addiction prevention treatment and long-term recovery. She emphasized the importance of investing directly in communities that continue to suffer from the opioid epidemic’s lasting impact.
This agreement will resolve outstanding legal claims against Purdue and the Sackler family nationwide for their role in fueling the crisis. The bankruptcy court still must approve the terms, and local governments will then be invited to opt into the deal.
Attorney General Nick Brown of Washington said this settlement pushes total national opioid recovery above $1 billion in his state alone. Washington expects to receive more than $105 million from the same agreement over 15 years.
Officials stressed the settlement’s importance in ensuring accountability for one of US history’s most destructive corporate actions. While the Sacklers admit no wrongdoing, the deal permanently ends their involvement in opioid manufacturing and distribution.
