(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that local governments encompassing more than two-thirds of the state’s population have signed on to OneOhio, a plan to jointly approach settlement negotiations and litigation with the drug manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
Commitments were received from local governments representing more than 9.8 million Ohioans, or 85% of the state’s population of 11.7 million. The list includes 73 of Ohio’s 88 county governments, with participation from rural, suburban and urban areas alike.
All votes cast for OneOhio membership were unanimous.
“I am pleased that Ohio’s communities have agreed to come together as OneOhio,” said Governor DeWine. “It’s a simple concept, but when we are united, we are stronger. OneOhio puts us in the best position to face the drug companies did so much to destroy lives and communities when they got Ohioans hooked on their highly addictive products.”
“When it comes to the opioid crisis, almost all of us are in the same boat,” said Attorney General Yost. “This agreement formalizes our intent to stand together. We are stronger when we’re united.”
OneOhio provides a mechanism for the distribution of any opioid settlement funds and outlines how the funds can be used. Specifically:
- 30% of the funding will be set aside for community recovery, money that will go directly to every township, village, city and county in Ohio – more than 2,000 in all – to address the immediate needs of residents.
- 55% will be set aside for the creation of a statewide foundation that will develop and oversee the funding of short-term and long-term planning that local communities need to continue to address this crisis.
- 15% will go to the state of Ohio, to be used to leverage statewide buying power to offer prevention, treatment and recovery support services.
OneOhio ensures a settlement for Ohio that recognizes that every corner of the state has been hit hard by the crisis. It focuses funding on programs that address prevention, treatment and long-term recovery; criminal justice; and public awareness costs that promote the overall health and well-being of Ohioans. Equally important, the plan ensures that these funds are preserved and flexible over time as a way of helping the state combat the ever-evolving drug problem.
What people are saying about the OneOhio Agreement:
“The OneOhio plan is a collective effort to bring money back to Lucas County. It will dedicate resources back to our community and the people who were hurt, helps prevent people from getting hurt in the future, and holds the drug and pharmaceutical companies accountable.
– Lucas County Commissioner President Tina Skeldon Wozniak
“The City of Fairfield has suffered from the effects of this public health crisis, like so many other communities across the state of Ohio. By uniting under this plan, hopefully, this will help the city recoup some of our expenses more quickly so we can focus additional efforts on helping people in our community fight this disease.”
– City of Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller
“Lake County was hit hard and it stretched our resources for first responders, hospitals and treatment providers. By joining the OneOhio plan, we are trying to get some of that money back to put it into addressing the short-term and long-term needs of our residents and their families who suffer from addiction.”
-Lake County Board of Commissioner President John R. Hamercheck
“As a county, we believe we are more likely to receive a positive outcome in a faster way by collaborating with other local governments and the State of Ohio to address this public health crisis and the tragic impact it has on the citizens of our community.”
-Jackson County Commissioner Paul Haller
Our state is facing an opioid addiction crisis, and our community has been particularly hard hit. The City of Columbus is hopeful that by joining forces and uniting as a state, the OneOhio plan will bring us swifter resolution that will ultimately provide much-deserved and needed resources to save lives. We must hold the drug manufacturers and distributors responsible for their role in this epidemic.
-Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein
