To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
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Kendra Davis, Management Analyst III, Commissioners' Office
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presenter
Presenter: Kendra Davis, Management Analyst III, Commissioners' Office
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Subject:
title
1:30 PM *Arapahoe County Regional Opioid Abatement Council Update
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to provide an update on the activities of the Arapahoe County (Region 9) Regional Opioid Abatement Council.
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Background and Discussion: In 2020-2021, opioids settlements were reached nationwide with the "Big 3" opioid distributors (McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson to resolve claims by state and local governments that these companies contributed to the opioid epidemic. As a requirement of these agreements, states had to have significant participation by their counties and municipalities in order to receive maximum base and bonus payments.
In 2021, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser worked with Arapahoe County and other local governments to develop and execute the Colorado Opioids Summary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that established how opioid funds were to be divided and distributed within the State of Colorado. The Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners approved this MOU at their meeting on Oct. 26, 2021.
The Colorado MOU establishes specific parameters regarding the statewide allocation of settlement funds from the nationwide opioid litigation, which distributes 20% directly to counties/municipalities that sign the MOU and 60% to county-based regions. All settlement funds are required to be used for opioid abatement through prevention, treatment and harm reduction. I the MOU requires each region to create a "Regional Council" to help distribute these funds towards appropriate uses. Arapahoe County and its municipalities are considered their own region-Region...
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