Cameron announces Kentucky’s cut of opioid settlement

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky will receive $483 million from the settlement to fight the opioid epidemic.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, lawmakers, and judges said receiving this money is the first step in tackling an ongoing problem in Kentucky.

Drug maker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors have finalized a $26 billion settlement for their role in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.

MORE: J&J, distributors finalize $26B landmark opioid settlement

Cameron said that the money will be used to tackle Kentucky’s opioid crisis through education, prevention and treatment. He pointed out that nearly 2,000 Kentuckians lost their lives last year to drug overdose.

Half of the money will go to communities, the other half to the Kentucky opioid abatement advisory commission.

Cameron said that the commission will include those who’ve struggled with addiction, law enforcement, and drug rehabilitation agencies. He plans to start naming people to that commission soon.

Cameron said the money from the settlement should start trickling into Kentucky this spring.