Tacoma sued drug companies over opioid epidemic. How much money will it receive?
The city of Tacoma will receive almost $15 million over the next 14 years from a national legal settlement with pharmaceutical companies and distributors after several lawsuits brought forward evidence that the companies contributed to a nationwide opioid epidemic.
Tacoma joined one of the lawsuits in 2017, alleging that pharmaceutical companies that manufacture certain opioids have fueled Tacoma’s homelessness crisis and perpetuated the opioid epidemic. Tacoma is one of several jurisdictions in the state and across the country that are receiving similar funds – Pierce County has already received $6 million since 2022 and will continue to receive about $55 million through 2034.
The funds are part of a nationwide settlement that sought to resolve all similar litigation brought against several pharmaceutical companies, including Cardinal Health and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its parent company Johnson & Johnson. The companies in total settled for several billions of dollars to be paid out over several years to states and other governing bodies to help tackle the opioid epidemic.
Tacoma will be using the one-time funds for city services that seek to respond to the consequences of the epidemic, according to city officials. The city already has received $5.2 million and will continue to receive the remaining $9.5 million over the next 14 years, officials said at a City Council study session June 3.
Caleb Carbone, the homeless strategy, systems and services manager for Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department, said at the study session that the funds can be used to support treatment for people with opioid-use disorder or to help prevent the over-prescription and abuse of opiates.
The city has already directed funding towards seven programs totaling $1.46 million for the 2025-2026 financial year, five of which address crisis and treatment services, and two of which fund housing and other support services.
“Opioid use continues to be a significant problem felt broadly in our community,” Carbone said at the study session. “For instance in the city of Tacoma’s 2023 and 2024 community survey, mental health and substance use was the second highest priority when it came to social service program investment.”
Community wellness program manager Sarah Bridgeford said city staff plan to work through this fall to identify specific needs that the funding could be put towards. They plan to come up with a set of recommendations by late September and October of this year, Bridgeford told the City Council on Tuesday.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
