Nassau, Suffolk to get $228M in opioid settlements, state attorney general says

Nassau and Suffolk counties will receive up to $228 million combined in opioid lawsuit settlement funds that will be used for education, prevention and treatment to battle a scourge that has claimed the lives of thousands of Long Islanders in recent years, state Attorney General Letitia James said Monday.

The funds come after James filed a 2019 lawsuit against drug manufacturers and distributors. The majority of those cases have since been settled although a handful continue in the courts and the settlements are expected to grow.

"I know there is no dollar amount that can make up for what we've already lost," James said at a Hauppauge recovery and outreach center as she began a tour of the state where she will distribute up to $1.5 billion in settlement funds. "But I hope and pray each and every day these settlements will teach future corporate drug manufacturers to work in the public's interest and not line their pockets with profit."

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