Saline County is among dozens of polities in Missouri that have received funds from settlements with the manufacturers and distributors of opioid medications, following lawsuits accusing the firms of profiting from their misuse and abuse.

Prosecuting Attorney Tim Thompson, who is handling the county’s involvement in the class-action cases, says the county has $112,000 available for use to address the impact of opioid addiction in the community.

Thompson says Saline County joined other counties and cities in the state of Missouri’s suit against Purdue Pharmaceuticals, as coordinated by the Missouri Attorney General’s office. Thompson adds that the amount awarded to each polity was determined based on their population, the amount of opioid doses distributed to each, and the incidence rate of opioid overdoses. He notes that the county is beginning to make the funds available for use by agencies and groups tackling drug abuse.

Thompson says groups are able to submit a request for funds to the Saline County Commission, provided they are for a reason allowed by the settlement. The commission recently voted to authorize Thompson to opt the county into two additional opioid settlements being sought by the state attorney general’s office.

Thompson also tells KMMO News that Saline County’s opting into the class-action suits does not preclude an individual from pursuing a case against an opioid manufacturer or distributor, if they are able to document a claim.