Braintree Council Authorizes $197K In Opioid Settlement Spending

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree will spend nearly $200,000 it received from the Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement to combat substance abuse issues caused by the crisis.

At a council meeting on Tuesday, officials reported that the town will receive a total of $197,000 in the settlement. Mayor Charles Kokoros' Chief of Staff Nicole Taub reported that the town has so far received $67,000, with the rest expected by the end of the year.

Spending of the settlement money was authorized by the town council at the Tuesday meeting.

Kokoros sent a memo to the council explaining that a 15-member task force has been created, and will work with the town's substance use prevention coordinator to determine priorities for the money.

Though the task force will work to determine the best use of the money, Kokoros will have a final say on how the money is doled out.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced a settlement agreement with the company in July that would see the state receive up to $5 billion over the course of nine years. The state would receive nearly $4 billion in the first three years, officials said at the time.