Opioid overdoses and addiction have devastated families and communities throughout Colorado, and this crisis poses a serious threat to the state’s public health, safety, and economy. Our office is committed to collaborative problem-solving and working toward sustainable solutions.
To combat this crisis, the Colorado Department of Law is:
- Suing unscrupulous pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors that contributed to the epidemic through deceptive marketing and other practices, and seeking monetary damages that can be used to support urgently needed drug treatment and recovery programs;
- Improving access to treatment, especially in rural parts of our state that lack sufficient options;
- Cracking down on drug cartels to stop the trafficking of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing deadly fentanyl; and
- Leading a historic joint framework to share future opioid settlements with local regions around the state.
Colorado Opioid Framework
Click here to view the opioid dashboard →
In August 2021, after announcing several historic settlements with major drug manufacturers and distributors, the office announced a groundbreaking framework for distributing opioid settlement funds. To date, more than $700 million in opioid settlement dollars has been secured for addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention programs around the state.
Proceeds from the settlements include:
- $385 million from Johnson & Johnson and three major drug distributors;
- $150 million from CVS and Walgreens;
- At least $50 million from Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers;
- $40 million from Walmart;
- $60 million from Teva/Allergan;
- $18 million from Mallinckrodt; and
- $10 million from McKinsey & Company.
These dollars will be distributed to 19 regions, local governments, the state, and infrastructure needs.
