Mayor Brandon M. Scott, alongside city and state leaders, advocates, care providers, and residents who are working on the frontlines to combat opioid overdoses, signed an Executive Order establishing a comprehensive framework for the administration of opioid restitution funds in the City of Baltimore. 

The order follows recent announcements of settlement funds won by the City against major pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, now totaling $242.5 million. The City remains engaged in litigation against several other opioid manufacturers and distributors who make up the largest market share and trial is set to begin on September 16th.

“Every community has been inflicted with the pain of the opioid overdose epidemic, but here in Baltimore, we have been disproportionately impacted – particularly due to the actions of reckless bad actors in big pharma,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “We made the decision to see our litigation against these companies through until the very end, foregoing the global settlements that were offered along the way, because we knew how impacted our community has been and how important it was to see adequate financial accountability from these companies. But it isn’t enough to win the funds – we need to put them to work. This Executive Order will ensure that restitution funds are governed responsibly, transparently, and effectively in order to support our residents and communities most affected by the epidemic — not just during this administration, but for years to come.”

In the announcement, Mayor Scott outlined his intent to immediately bolster the Baltimore City Health Department’s active and ongoing work to combat the overdose epidemic through a new $20 million allocation.  In the settlements, $42 million has already been allocated to specific care providers and organizations working to tackle substance use disorder and the impact it has on neighborhoods, including: $5 million to Charm City Care Connection, $5 million to the Peer Navigators program at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, $5 million for the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, $5 million for Healing City Baltimore, $1 million for Roberta’s House, $1 million for From Prison Cells to PhD, $5 million to Tuerk House, $5 million to Helping Up Mission, $3 million for Baltimore Safe Haven, $3 million for HOPE Safe Haven, $2 million for More Than a Shop, $1 million for Marian House, and $1 million for Turnaround Tuesday.

For more details and key provisions of the executive order see the full press release here.