City of Palm Springs to use $2.9M from statewide lawsuit to address local impacts of opioid crisis

The City of Palm Springs is now one of the first cities in the state to receive funding from an opioid settlement agreement. 

Several major opioid manufacturers, including Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Mckesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health California, will dole out yearly payments to California cities to,  “...resolve their liabilities in over 3,000 opioid crisis-related lawsuits nationwide.”

According to their latest staff report, the City of Palm Springs has received $215,838 of the $2.9 million of funding from the settlement agreement that will be distributed over the next 18 years. 

The city says this funding will go towards treatment, prevention and rental assistance programs for those affected by the opioid crisis. 

News Channel 3’s Tatum Larsen is in the process of speaking with councilmember Christy Holstege and first responders who have been outspoken about the local impacts of the opioid crisis for their reactions to this newly secured funding. 

Watch News Channel 3 at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for more information.