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From YouTube: Opioid Settlement Press Conference - 4/5/22
Description
Mayor Wu joins Attorney General Maura Healey and other Massachusetts mayors at a press conference regarding settlements with opioid distributors and manufacturers.
A
Well,
good
afternoon,
everyone
it
is
great
to
see
and
to
be
with
all
of
you
here.
We
are
grateful
to
mayor
wu
for
hosting
us
here
at
boston
city
hall.
I
value
our
partnership
in
combating
the
opioid
crisis
together,
and
I
know
that
mayor
wu
has
made
that
a
top
priority
since
her
first
day
in
office,
and
the
same
goes
for
everyone
standing
alongside
me
today.
A
A
Mayors
have
been
on
the
front
line
of
this
crisis
and
so
much,
and
so
I
am
really
pleased
to
be
joined
today
by
so
many
mayors
from
across
the
state
we
have
ames
mayor
cassandra,
go
braintree
male
mayor,
charles
cacoras,
everett,
mayor
carlo
di
maria
fitchburg
mayor
stephen,
steve
de
natale,
lawrence
mayor,
brian
depena,
melrose,
mayor
paul,
broder,
newton
mayor
ruth
ann
fuller,
who
is
also
president
of
the
massachusetts
municipal
association,
salem
mayor
kim
driscoll
quincy
mayor
tom
koch.
Did
I
miss
any
of
my
terrific
colleagues?
A
I
know
we've
all
made
it
a
top
priority
and
are
happy
that
joining
us
today
is
deirdre
calvert
from
the
bureau
of
substance
abuse
services
in
hhs.
We
also
have
wonderful
state
legislators
who
have
worked
hard
to
do.
A
lot
of
things
include
doing
something
that
other
states
haven't
done,
which
is
to
go
about
setting
up
an
opioid
recovery
and
remediation
fund,
and
what
that
fund
is
allowing
is
that
any
of
the
settlements,
any
other
recoveries
that
my
office
has
achieved
over
the
years,
including
the
one
we're
going
to
talk
about
today?
A
A
Joanne
peterson,
our
dear
friend,
from
learn
to
cope,
could
not
be
here
today,
but
I
want
to
thank
her
because
we
couldn't
do
this
work
without
her.
I
also
want
to
thank
our
other
appointees,
including
dr
charles
anderson
and
latoya
whiteside,
for
their
valuable
contributions
to
this
council
and,
of
course,
I
end
where
this
whole
journey
began,
and
that
is
with
the
families
of
massachusetts,
so
many
families
across
so
many
realms
and
walks
of
life,
every
city
and
town
in
this
state
have
had
visited
upon
them.
A
Devastating
loss,
devastating
crisis,
devastating
trauma,
they
are
the
ones
that
led
us
to
take
action
years
ago.
I
know
that
my
office
made
it
a
top
priority
and
today
marks
another
point
in
that
journey
together,
and
so,
as
always,
we
are
honored
to
be
standing
with
families,
including
cheryl
joerre,
dina,
favro,
kate,
donahue
and
marianne
franjulis,
who
are
here
with
us
today
and
every
day
and
whose
voices
and
strength
continue
to
guide
and
inform
the
work
of
all
of
us.
A
Last
year
my
office
announced
the
largest
agreement
state
ags
have
reached
in
a
generation.
This
was
a
26
billion
dollar
settlement
that
we
recovered
from
drug
companies,
drug
companies,
drug
companies
that
flooded
our
communities
with
dangerous,
dangerous
opioids
and
got
rich
off
our
residents
suffering.
A
Our
bipartisan
investigation
found
that
three
major
opioid
distributors
shipped
thousands
of
suspicious
orders
into
our
state
without
regard
for
their
legitimacy.
We
also
allege
that
johnson
and
johnson
misled
patients
and
doctors
about
the
addictive
nature
of
these
drugs,
their
conduct,
the
conduct
of
cardinal
mckesson,
amerisource,
bergen
and
j
j.
A
That's
conduct
that
we
went
after
we
investigated
and
we
announced
a
settlement
of
26
billion
dollars.
This
conduct
enabled
and
perpetuated
vast
increases
of
opioid
over-prescribing
and
dispensing
all
over
the
state
and
it
multiplied
the
toll
of
addiction,
overdose
and
death
throughout
our
state
and
our
country.
A
A
I
am
really
proud
to
be
able
to
stand
before
you
today
and
announce
that
working
together,
the
state
and
our
municipalities
have
done
something
that
hasn't
been
done
before
we
have
agreed
and
as
a
result
of
this
agreement,
we
are
going
to
be
able.
Massachusetts
is
going
to
be
able
to
recover
the
entire
the
maximal
maximum
allotment
possible
for
these
funds
from
this
settlement,
and
that
is
a
huge
win
for
people
in
massachusetts,
and
I
want
to
thank
all
who
helped
to
make
that
happen.
A
A
Over
200
million
will
be
distributed
directly
to
our
municipalities.
Every
city
in
town
in
massachusetts
is
going
to
benefit
from
this.
Over
300
million
is
going
to
go
into
our
statewide
opioid
recovery
and
remediation
fund
that
I
mentioned
earlier.
It
is
overseen
by
a
council
of
public
health
experts,
state
and
municipal
leaders.
They
are
already
putting
to
use
the
good
money
that
we
recovered
from
mckinsey
a
while
back
working
to
expand
harm
reduction,
services,
increase
supportive
housing,
increase
access
to
methadone
and
funding
outreach
teams
to
provide
services
in
home
and
community
settings.
A
So
today
today's
announcement
and
I
want
to
be
clear
to
the
families.
I
cannot
do
anything
to
bring
back
your
loved
ones.
I
am
so
sorry
for
the
pain
that
you
all
have
experienced,
that
I
know
you
live
with
every
single
day
and
to
everyone
out
there
who
may
be
listening,
who
shares
that
pain
and
that
experience.
A
A
I
can't
tell
you
the
work
that
actually
goes
into
sending
subpoenas
pouring
through
documents
taking
testimony
making
people
set
for
deposition,
filing
complaints,
arguing
in
court
countless
times,
but
that
is
the
proud
work
of
our
office
and
I
could
not
be
more
proud
of
the
way
you
represented
the
attorney
general's
office
team.
Thank
you
for
that.
A
So
we
have
more
work
to
do,
and
that
is
my
comment
to
the
families.
We
have
more
work
to
do.
We
are
on
a
journey,
but
this
is
an
important
mark
we
hit
today.
These
funds
are
going
to
be
working
to
help
people
directly
in
the
most
important
ways:
harm
reduction
prevention,
prevention,
education,
treatment,
recovery.
This
is
what
it's
all
about.
I
promise
the
people
in
massachusetts
years
ago,
when
I
announced
our
first
lawsuit,
might
have
been
against
purdue
and
the
sacklers
might
have
been
against
someone
else.
A
I
can't
remember
there
have
been
so
many,
but
I
promised
the
people
of
massachusetts
that
this
would
be
a
top
priority
for
our
attorney
general's
office.
It
continues
to
be
a
top
priority
going
after
companies
that
do
bad
things
that
hurt
people
in
the
most
harmful
ways,
holding
them
accountable
accountable,
so
that
they're
not
able
to
continue
to
exploit
exploit
on
the
backs
of
residents
here
in
our
state.
So
again,
I
want
to
thank
the
families
for
having
the
courage
to
tell
their
stories.
A
I
want
to
thank
all
out
there
who
have
the
courage
to
overcome
stigma.
We've
done
a
lot
of
work
on
that,
but
I
know
there
is
more
to
do
and
I
hope
that
today's
settlement
provides
some
measure
of
hope
that
things
will
be
better,
that
things
will
be
better
here
in
this
state.
Thank
you
again
to
all
my
wonderful
partners
who
made
this
happen,
and
it
is
a
a
sign
of
of
government
doing
what
it's
supposed
to
do,
the
kind
of
collaboration
that
we
were
able
to
achieve
to
be
able
to
announce
this
settlement.
A
B
Good
afternoon,
everyone
and
thank
you
so
much
attorney
general
for
your
leadership.
I
want
to
start
exactly
where
the
attorney
general
left
off
in
really
ensuring
that
we
are
centering
this,
not
only
in
resources
and
numbers
and
legal
processes
and
steps,
but
in
the
people
who
are
at
the
heart
of
this.
B
C
B
You
I
am
so
honored
to
be
here
standing
alongside
this
incredible
group,
my
colleagues
in
government,
I'm
just
I
wore
my
purple
dress
yesterday.
So
I
somehow
missed
the
memo
on
the
on
the
color
coordination
today,
but
we
are
matching
in
the
determination,
the
hope,
the
plans
to
make
a
difference
and
change
the
dynamic
for
families
here
in
massachusetts.
B
Thank
you
so
much
to
the
families
who
have
shared
your
stories,
who
have
been
relentless
in
ensuring
that
we
can
make
a
different
future
for
those
who
are
are
still
today.
Part
of
this
crisis
sweeping
through
our
city,
our
state
and
beyond
for
years.
Boston
has
grappled
with
these
crises
of
substance,
use
disorder
connected
with
homelessness,
connected
with
mental
health
challenges,
and
I'm
grateful
to
our
team
now
just
140
days
in
making
big
steps
forward
in
working
from
a
public
health
and
housing
led
lens
to
reshape,
what's
possible
in
our
city.
B
Thanks
to
the
leadership
of
dr
burrell,
dr
ojikutsu,
chief
chief
dylan,
our
first
responders,
our
public
works
departments,
our
staff
and
and
teams
on
the
ground.
We
have
seen
a
big
step
forward
in
connecting
more
than
180
residents
from
the
former
encampments
at
mass
and
cast
to
low
threshold
transitional
housing
distributed
throughout
the
city.
B
This
is
an
issue
of
equity,
an
issue
of
access,
an
issue
of
the
basic
fundamentals
that
every
single
resident
and
and
family
deserves,
and
through
programs
which
take
funding,
which
will
be
happy
to
supplement
with
this
settlement
resources
through
programs
like
paths,
the
engagement
center
and
our
street
outreach
teams.
More
than
2600
treatment
placements
were
made
just
in
2021
in
boston.
B
This
is
why
boston
was
proud
to
be
one
of
the
first
municipalities
to
support
increasing
the
city
and
town
share
of
the
settlement
from
15
to
40
percent,
and
thank
you
so
much
for
ensuring
that
cities
and
towns
would
be
at
the
forefront
of
this.
We
are
expected
in
our
city
alone
to
receive
over
22
million
dollars
from
this
settlement.
B
Critical
life-saving
dollars
that
will
help
provide
the
next
step
in
recovery
from
these
crises,
we're
looking
to
expand
access
to
services,
truly
meet
the
needs
of
our
residents
and
continue
breaking
down
the
stigma
around
mental
health
and
recovery,
reinforcing
that
our
need
for
services
is
not
a
testament
to
our
humanity,
but
the
true
testament
is
how
we
respond
to
that
need
which
is
so
widely
felt
throughout
our
communities.
So
together
we
will
ensure
that
these
services
are
available,
accessible
and
effective
and
and
in
boston.
D
Attorney
general
healey
understands
that.
Yes,
the
state
plays
a
really
important
part
of
this,
but
cities
and
towns
do
as
well
in
delivering
programs
and
services
that
we
need
to
help
those
who
are
gripped
by
substance
use
disorders
and
to
stand
up
the
education
and
prevention
initiatives
needed
to
protect
our
friends
and
neighbors
so
across
the
nation.
D
The
national
default
share
is
15
of
these
funds
for
cities
and
towns,
with
the
leadership
of
attorney
general
healey
that
has
almost
tripled
to
40
percent.
Here
in
massachusetts,
it's
a
big
deal,
so
she
has
secured
over
200
million
dollars
in
opioid
settlement
funds
at
the
most
local
level
for
the
next
18
years,
funds
that
are
going
to
save
lives
in
every
one
of
our
communities
and
I'll
add
that
in
newton
that
represents
2.1
million
dollars.
D
D
A
Thank
you,
mayor,
fuller,
we're
now
going
to
hear
from
some
of
our
family
members
and
I'd
like
to
begin
with.
Cheryl
joerre
cheryl
has
been
with
us
for
a
long
time.
Cheryl
cheryl
lost
two
sons
to
this
epidemic,
corey
and
sean
about
10
years
apart.
She
sits
on
our
family
advisory
council.
I
want
to
thank
you,
catherine
madden,
on
our
team
for
all
the
work
you
do
with
the
families
and
cheryl
was
active
in
the
litigation
as
well
and
a
lot
of
people.
A
E
E
I
am
living
proof
of
the
horrors
of
the
opioid
epidemic
and
not
a
day
goes
by
that
I
do
not
confront
the
death
and
destruction
that
opioid
manufacturers,
distributors
and
pharmacies
have
caused
our
country
and
specifically
our
state
as
a
result
of
my
own
grief
and
to
help
others.
I
started
an
organization
called
team
sharing,
which
is
a
nationwide
non-profit
organization
that
provides
support
for
families
who
have
lost
loved
ones
to
opioid
use.
F
F
As
with
many
of
the
stories
you've
heard,
I'm
a
mom
who's
both
who
both
sons
became
addicted
to
opioids
some
13
years
ago
and
who
have
both
since
achieved
recovery
by
the
grace
of
god.
However,
my
extended
family
was
not
has
not
been
so
lucky
in
2016.
My
family
lost
three
wonderful
souls
in
less
than
six
months
apart,
my
cousin
anthony
forte,
my
cousin
jeffrey
lembo,
and
my.
F
F
The
early
years
of
my
family's
fight
against
the
opioid
crisis
and
my
son's
addictions
were
both
very
dark
and
were
a
very
dark
and
lonely
place
where
discussing
it.
It
all
left
you
increasingly
isolated,
alienated
and
made
to
feel
like
you
were
a
failure
as
a
parent
back
then
I
could
never
imagine
that
a
day
like
today
would
come
for
myself
and
or
for
the
thousands
of
other
families
impacted
across
the
state
and
our
great
nation.
F
F
F
A
B
And
I'll
invite
up
my
team
too,
if
doctor
burrell
and
dr
orji
could
want
to
join,
every
dollar
has
been
making
a
big
difference.
We
have
been
so
grateful
that
in
this
moment
of
once
in
a
generation
funds
available
from
the
federal
government
for
our
recovery,
we
have
been
able
to
deploy
some
of
those
to
create
the
supports
necessary
surrounding
low
threshold,
supportive
housing
in
the
in
the
sites
throughout
our
city.
That
funding
needs
to
be
sustained.
G
B
And
let
me
reframe
because
I
think
it's
I
was
going
to
bring
up
our
colleagues
anyway.
I'm
really
proud
to
provide
a
convenient
location,
but
this
is
truly
about
the
settlement
today
and
the
work
that's
happening
across
the
state,
and
I
know
a
lot
is
happening
and
each
of
my
colleagues
has
taken
on
a
big
chunk
of
that
in
their
in
their
towns
and
cities
as
well.
A
And
it's
why
I
was
really
clear
and
supportive
of
making
sure
that
some
money
was
going
to
go
to
the
state
and
some
money
was
going
to
go
directly
to
cities
and
towns,
and
that
was
going
to
allow
cities
and
towns
to
also
work
in
regional
partnerships,
because
a
solution
for
boston
may
look
different
for
a
solution
down
in
new
bedford
or
fall
river
or
up
in
northern
berkshire
county.
That's
the
beauty
of
our
state.
We
have
all
these
regions
with
different
different
aspects
that
require
targeted
attention
and
that's
why?
A
I
think
you
know
it's
important
to
empower
leaders
in
those
areas
because
understand,
as
we
all
do,
that
substance
use
disorder
and
the
opioid
crisis
and
all
of
its
manifestations
right
and
all
its
ripple
effects
are
playing
out
every
day
in
communities
all
around
this
state.
And
that's
that's
what's
important
in
here,
and
I
think
all
of
us
collectively
will
look
for
opportunities
to
engage
in
partnership
and
collaboration
now
and
in
the
time
ahead,
particularly
as
these
funds
come
in.
Yes,.
D
The
people
who
have
been
living
at
mass
and
cass
their
families
are,
from
all
over
massachusetts,
what's
remarkable
about
this
settlement
and
how
the
funds
are
being
distributed
is
that
in
every
city
or
town
we
can
set
up
the
resources
that
substance
use,
disorder,
homelessness
and
mental
health
have
created,
and
that
we
see
sometimes
here
in
boston
but
the
roots
and
the
family
members
are
all
across.
So
we
look
forward
to
helping
the
families,
and
that
will
mean
helping
people
who
perhaps
have
been
living
at
mass
and
cass.
H
H
Sometimes
most
of
those
people
don't
want
housing,
they
don't
want
help.
We
we
have
a
task
force
where
we
section
people
and
they
go
to
detox
and
they
can
let
themselves
out
and
they
normally
do
let
themselves
out
and
they're
back
on
the
street.
Again,
it's
a
it's
a
it's
a
very
difficult
process.
It
really
is,
I
mean
it's,
you
know
the
u.s
constitution
rights.
We
can't
take
these
people
off
the
streets
and
put
them
in
facilities
where
they
should
be
getting
treatment
and
help
they
use.
H
We
usually
do
that
and
then
they
take
themselves
out
and
they
leave
and
and
the
detoxes
don't
talk
to
us.
As
mayors
like
I
try
to
follow
up
sometimes
on
different
people,
they
won't
talk
to
us
due
to
the
hipaa
laws.
There's
a
lot
of
work.
We
have
to
do
it's
a
serious
issue
for
me
because
you
know
I
lost
you
know
some
of
my
family
to
to
opiate
addiction,
but
homelessness,
and
in
in
this
the
issue
of
mass
and
cash.
H
I
think
mayor
wallace
tried
to
do
a
great
job
and
no
man
was
trying
to
do
her
best.
It's
a
very
difficult
situation.
Have
you
ever
sat
there
and
talked
to
someone
who's
homeless,
someone
who's
on
drugs
or
alcohol
tell
them
to
get
help.
I
mean
I
do
daily
when
they
pull
and
they
ask
for
money
I
get
out
and
I
usually
give
them
money
or
give
them
some
food,
and
I
know
they're
gonna
buy
drugs
or
whatever
it
may
be.
H
So
it's
a
very
difficult
situation
and
I
think
we
need
to
do
more
and
we
need
to
have
probably
more
conversations
about
how
we
can
get
someone
in
a
facility
mandate
them
to
stay
in
that
facility
and
then
get
them
to
an
aftercare
facility,
because
that's
what
you
have
to
do
after
the
30-day
detox,
it's
getting
them
into
aftercare
to
really
work
on
work
on
work
on
that
situation,
get
them
the
tools
they
need
career
resources
give
them.
You
know
a
lot
of
these
kids.
Have
a
lot
of
people
have
some
bad
stories.
H
A
I
Kim
just
called
the
mayor
in
salem,
been
the
mayor
there
for
the
last
16
years
and
there's
no
doubt
that
this
is
an
issue
that
touches
all
of
us
all
of
our
communities,
we're
a
gateway
city,
just
to
be
clear,
we're
doing
all
that
we
can
to
build
supportive
housing
within
my
community.
That's
housing
with
wraparound
services,
and
it
is
really
challenging
the
housing
needs
tied
into
substance
use
disorder.
A
You
know
all
the
wraparound
services
and
that's
what
leaders
are
struggling
and
grappling
with
day
to
day
across
the
state,
a
lot
of
families
in
a
lot
of
need
and
with
kovid
we
know
it's
only
exacerbated
anxiety,
depression.
You
know,
people
feeling
isolated
and
we've
got
a
lot
of
work
to
do.
This
is
this
is
meaningful
and
I'm
very
proud
of
the
team
I'm
proud
of
what
we
were
able
to
do,
but
obviously
there
is
so
much
more
that
we
need
to
do
in
partnership
in
collaboration,
and
I
look
forward
to
that.
A
A
A
I
don't
know
if
anybody
wishes
to
comment.
I
certainly
have
supported
efforts
at
harm
reduction.
Safe
injection
sites
are
part
of
that.
I
think
it's
up
to
to
communities
and
municipalities
to
work
through
some
of
that
and
what
makes
sense
again
paying
attention
to
the
needs
within
communities
but
from
the
beginning.
We've
all
recognized
this
as
the
public
health
crisis
that
it
is
and
it
necessitates
innovative
thinking,
innovative
approaches,
and
certainly
we
should
do
everything
we
can
to
save
to
save
lives.
H
A
So
I
mean
this
is
this:
is
about
today's
settlement
and
to
sherman's
question.
I'm
sorry
that
the
funds
recovered
here
aren't
going
to
be
enough
to
deal
with
with
with
everything
that
needs
to
be
dealt
with,
but
I
am
sure
that
we
will
continue,
as
we
always
do,
to
work
in
collaboration
to
work,
to
identify
what
are
going
to
be
solutions
that
meet
the
needs
of
the
people
in
boston,
the
people
surrounding
greater
boston
and
the
people
throughout
this
commonwealth.
A
You
know
from
lawrence
to
fitchburg
to
salem
to
amesbury,
that's
what
this
is
about
and
some
of
it
we
can
do
through
application
of
targeted
state
funding
and
programming,
some
of
it
we're
going
to
do
by
innovative
and
creative
solutions
on
the
ground,
driven
by
and
informed
by
lived
experience
of
those
working
in
the
field
working
in
those
communities
and
families
in
those
communities.
So
I
look
forward
to
that.
I
think
we're
happy
to
move
now
to
off
ti.
Does
anyone
have
anything
else
related
to
this
to
this
settlement?.
I
A
Don't
we
do
this
karen?
Why
don't
we
if
any
no
one,
has
any
further
questions
I'm
happy
to.
I
know
some
had
some
other
questions
for
me,
but
why
don't
we
I
want
to
thank.
I
want
to
thank
our
colleagues
at
the
state
and
local
level.
I
want
to
thank
them
for
their
partnership
and
continued
partnership.
I
want
to
thank
big
time
my
team
and
the
attorney
general's
office
for
the
work
that
they've
done
over
the
last
many
years,
and
I
want
to
thank
our
families.