The human toll of the Opioid Epidemic, which has been raging nationwide since the 1990s, has been severe in Pierce County and the greater Puget Sound area. Since 2013, the epidemic has been in what epidemiologists call the ‘third wave’ characterized by significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly those including illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
Pierce County expects to receive $29 million in funding from various opioid settlements over the next 17 years, with the Pierce County funding region expected to receive a total of $48 million. These settlements result from opioid manufacturers knowingly marketing opioids as non-addictive ways to manage chronic pain.
On Tuesday, June 20, the Pierce County Council took steps to convene cities, towns, and subject matter experts to ensure their collective investments with these settlements will have a substantial impact in addressing this epidemic and helping people heal with the adoption of Resolution No. R2023-91. The resolution authorizes the Pierce County Executive to enter an Interlocal Agreement, or ILA, to create the Pierce County Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) with the cities of Auburn, Bonney Lake, Edgewood, Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Puyallup, Sumner, Tacoma, and University Place.
“Only together will we be able to overcome this man-made epidemic,” said Councilmember Jani Hitchen (District 6), who also chairs the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee. “The Opioid Abatement Council will help us ensure these and future funds get spent per the settlement’s approved uses, which include treatment programs to recover from addiction and educational programs about the harms of opioid abuse.”
One member from each party comprises the OAC. Members are appointed by each party’s governing body for three-year terms. Members can serve multiple terms. While members of the OAC can choose to leave their position vacant, the OAC must have at least five members.
The Pierce County Auditor’s Office administers the OAC. At the end of each fiscal year, the Auditor’s Office will send each party an itemized invoice for their administrative expenses related to the OAC, which will be pro-rated based on a formula used to distribute the settlement funds.
As of Tuesday, June 20, the Resolution forming the OAC is pending signature from the County Executive.
The question remains, ” How does the government turn money into public wellness without stripping us of our freedoms?”
This sounds good on the surface because we’ve all seen the destruction of drug abuse, but these precedents and programs often morph into evolving monsters under the control of a few administrators.
We are having more and more liability and restrictions imposed upon us in the name of such things as social and climate justice, when the truth of the matter usually revolves around poor personal choices.
So what would these administrators do if they didn’t have $48,000,000 to play with on this supposedly-singular issue?
I recall them campaigning against the war on drugs, thus essentially encouraging the proliferation there of.
I recall them calling for the defunding of police, resulting in a rise in violent crime and of course drug abuse.
We’ve seen them sweep away the rights of law-abiding gun owners, because the segment of the public they protect from prosecution can not be trusted with them.
Some of these administrators want to squash our ability to make these statements in a public forum.
Tacoma, the largest city in Pierce County, was just named by Wallethub as one of the poorest-run cities in the entire nation.
With the mighty river of tax dollars that flows through government around here, everyone should be better off for it, but somehow it all gets spent as we continue into social decline.
Such is socialism with all its programs.
This is a huge mistake by Pierce County and the surrounding agencies to include the City of Tacoma. They should just let that place rot. The citizens there elected the representatives who have allowed the consequences of people’s actions to be forgiven in public site. They want so badly to become Seattle.