More than three-quarters of US states have enacted laws to guide use of opioid litigation proceeds

Medical Xpress September 19, 2024
Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research

As of December 1, 2023, 40 states have laws regulating the use of opioid litigation proceeds, a 25% increase from the 32 states that had enacted laws as of August 2022, according to new data published by the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law (CPHLR).

As the opioid overdose epidemic continues to ravage the United States, approximately 3,000 state and local governments have sued opioid manufacturers and distributors for compensation for opioid-related harms. These lawsuits have resulted in major structured settlements to certain states and local governments, presenting an opportunity to fund a public health approach to abate the epidemic.