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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 26 November 2020
Money promised to combat U.S. overdose crisis sits unused

By GEOFF MULVIHILL tions by providing shelter,
Associated Press connecting them to servic-
When it filed for bankruptcy es and supplying overdose
last year, Purdue Pharma antidote drugs. It was left to
agreed to an innovative parties in the case to work
plan: It would make $200 out the details.
million available immedi- With disagreements on
ately to help those those where the money should
harmed by its signature go and who should control
painkiller, OxyContin, and it, that has not happened.
ease the effects of the opi- In a statement read during
oid crisis. a hearing in April, a group
More than a year later, with of lawyers said they were
the crisis worsening, not a pausing talks on how to use
penny has been spent. the relief money while they
"The money is just sitting in focus on broader media-
Purdue's bank account col- tion about how Purdue's as-
lecting dust," said Ed Nei- sets will be used.
ger, a lawyer representing The statement asserted
opioid victims. "It's a trav- that "despite the best in-
esty of epic proportions." tentions on all sides," the
It's not Purdue that is hold- players in the case had a
ing up the money. Instead, "deeply held, fundamental
it's lawyers representing the difference in view" about
wide range of entities suing Jill Cichowicz, an advocate for opioid addiction treatment, displays a photo of her and her broth- the best use of the money.
er, Scott Zebnwski, who died of an opioid overdose at age 38, in her home in Midlothian, Va.,
the company who cannot Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. They said talking about it
agree how best to use it. Associated Press was straining efforts to fig-
The main disagreement is ure out what to do with
between nearly 3,000 lo- Jill Cichowicz, who lost her ship of the company. Pur- posed the $200 million relief the billions that could ulti-
cal governments and ad- twin brother to an overdose due would then become a fund after Purdue filed for mately flow from Purdue.
vocates for those hurt by and sits on a committee public benefit corporation, bankruptcy in September They planned to revisit the
opioids. advocating for victims in with its profits going to ease 2019. issue later. Since then, the
Advocates want the mon- Purdue's bankruptcy case. the overdose crisis, includ- The fund was inspired by broader question of where
ey funneled mostly to lo- "We're all baffled." ing by increasing treatment one adopted last year in settlement money would
cal nonprofits that provide Purdue filed for bankruptcy capacity and providing the case of Pacific Gas go was resolved through
emergency services to last year as part of an ef- other addiction services. and Electric Co., the giant mediation. State and local
people with addictions. fort to settle thousands of The company says the total California utility that land- governments agreed to
State attorneys general say lawsuits seeking to hold the value of the deal over time ed in bankruptcy because put their full shares toward
doing so would dilute the company accountable could be more than $10 bil- of lawsuits blaming it for programs to alleviate the
money so much it would for the crisis that has been lion. California wildfires. crisis. That's a significant de-
not be effective. Because linked to 470,000 deaths State attorneys general, all Neiger, who represents a velopment, but it does not
Purdue is undergoing the in the U.S. since 2000. In a of whom have sued Pur- committee of victims in the bring the quick help called
long process of distributing separate case, it pleaded due, disagree over whether complicated legal battle, for with the $200 million
its assets, the states also see guilty Tuesday as part of that's the right approach. says the relief fund idea is fund. And there are no indi-
the prospect of distributing a broader settlement with They are not the only ones so novel that it's not even cations when the relief fund
billions of dollars over time the Department of Justice. who will need to be per- recognized by bankruptcy discussions will resume.
as more important than the The proposal being consid- suaded. A committee of law but was accepted by Advocates for people with
$200 million. ered in bankruptcy court creditors that includes federal bankruptcy Judge substance abuse disor-
"You see the state AGs calls for members of the people in recovery or who Robert Drain. ders say local nonprofits
come in and block the Sackler family, which owns have lost loved ones to The plan called for distribut- could have used the mon-
money, and you're not Purdue, to pay at least $3 overdoses must also agree. ing money to groups trying ey to assist more people
understanding why," said billion and give up owner- It was that group that pro- to help people with addic- immediately.q

U.S. temporarily closes detention facility at Texas border

HOUSTON (AP) — The U.S. facility, known as the cen- crossing the U.S.-Mexico of its custody within three The agency has several
Border Patrol is temporarily tral processing center, will border alone. The Trump days, people have at times stations in South Texas that
closing a converted ware- reopen in 2022 with a small- administration used the fa- been detained at the pro- can hold immigrants. It
house used to detain im- er capacity and "modern cility to hold parents and cessing center and other has designated its station
migrants in South Texas for detention areas." It will also children it separated dur- facilities for days or weeks. in Weslaco, Texas, to hold
renovation. have a recreation area for ing its 2018 enforcement The Border Patrol said it is children. About 65 chil-
The McAllen facility gar- children. The renovation of a "zero tolerance" policy using funds from Congress dren, some unaccompa-
nered international at- was first reported by The on border crossings. to renovate the facility. nied and others with their
tention when images Washington Post. Adults and children de- If border crossings surge parents, were detained at
emerged of children sep- Opened in 2014 during the tained by the Border Patrol again, the agency said Weslaco last week, with
arated from their parents administration of President generally sleep on mats it "consistently revaluates advocates for immigrants
detained in chain-link cag- Barack Obama, the facility and are issued Mylar blan- future operational require- warning that the detention
es inside. was first used to hold immi- kets. While the agency ments to support the safe conditions left them partic-
The agency said in a state- grant children mostly from is generally supposed to and legal processing" of ularly exposed to COVID-
ment Wednesday that the Central America who were transfer immigrants out immigrants. 19.q