Indiana AG announces 'historic' $507 million opioid settlement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana has received $507 million as part of a historic opioid settlement, according to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.

“Today marks a milestone victory in our battle against drug addiction,” Attorney General Rokita said. “This scourge has inflicted such unspeakable pain on so many Hoosiers."

Rokita said 648 cities, towns and counties in Indiana participated in the settlement, rather than opting into the statewide settlement. The funds come from two settlements — one with Johnson & Johnson and another with McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen.

As part of the settlement, 30% of the funds are split evenly between local communities and the state with "no strings attached."

The other 70% of the settlement is designated for opioid abatement efforts in local communities. State lawmakers will decide how to spend 35% of those funds, while local governments will decide how to allocate the other half, according to a news release.

“No amount of money will ever compensate families for the loss of loved ones,” Rokita said. “But a settlement of this magnitude helps prevent similar types of corporate irresponsibility from ever happening again.”