Use of Beltrami Co. Opioid Settlement Dollars Uncertain at This Time

At Tuesday night’s at Beltrami County Board meeting, commissioners discussed legal settlements with drug companies over the national opioid epidemic. Major players in the epidemic are starting to pay back the communities who suffered from overuse of the drug.

The board learned about some of the funds the county would receive and what factors contribute to the final total. The three main factors are population, the amount of opioids prescribed, and the number of opioid-related deaths.

Beltrami County has already received funds from Johnson & Johnson’s parent company’s settlement, but this is far from over as there are 10 additional suits listed by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. With settlements being in their early stages, there are plenty of unknowns at this time.

Tribal nations are not counted in these numbers as they have a separate settlement and agreement. The next steps for the county include identifying and engaging the Opioid Community Planning Committee.