Howard County Executive Calvin Ball creates Opioid Community Council following $12 million settlement

BALTIMORE — Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed an Executive Order on Monday, creating an Opioid Collaborative Community Council to help determine how the County should use funds from a settlement with opioid manufacturers. 

"Opioid manufacturers created a public health crisis that led to hundreds of fatal and non-fatal overdoes in Howard County. Their product was a scourge on our community," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said.

Howard County filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers in May 2019, joining many other states and municipalities who followed suit. 

After a long battle, a settlement agreement was reached in February 2022, and Howard County is now set to receive $12.3 million over the next 15-to-20 years. 

The first payment of $230,000 was received in December 2022 and will be directed to the County's Opioid Abatement Fund.