Op-Ed By board member julie ehemann
Read below an excerpt from OneOhio Recovery Foundation board member Julie Ehemann's recent op-ed in the Sidney Daily News. You can read the full op-ed (here)
At long last, companies with a role in making and distributing addictive opioids are recognizing the terrible damage that opioid abuse has done to Ohio families and local communities. Thanks to the determined efforts of state and local leaders, the State of Ohio has negotiated a $808 million settlement with key players in the pharmaceutical industry. While these dollars give Ohio new opportunities to undo the damage done by opioids and strengthen our fight against substance abuse, it’s important to ensure that recovery dollars are distributed fairly around the state.
As a Shelby County commissioner, serving one of Ohio’s rural areas, I’m determined that “business-as-usual” political pressures and Statehouse lobbying should not be allowed to influence how and where these dollars are spent. That’s important to me because the costs and heartaches of opioid abuse have been felt in every corner of the state, from the largest cities to the smallest rural crossroads.
Fortunately, the settlement includes an impartial formula for distributing funds. Thirty percent of the settlement funds are being directly allocated to local counties and municipalities over the next 18 years. Every Ohio county, city, village and township that agrees to participate will receive its proportional share. The State of Ohio will receive 15 percent of the total while the remaining 55 percent (more than $440 million) will be administered by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation board, a non-profit, non-government corporation established to ensure equal, transparent and locally driven distribution of settlement dollars for community recovery efforts.
