Iowa's opioid settlement funds

Iowa was recently involved in several lawsuits against pharmaceutical drug companies, drug distributor firms and giant pharmacy companies regarding opioids.

Over time, these suits generated a number of separate settlements with states and local governments to address the impacts of opioid abuse in the United States. This approach was modeled after the actions of the mid-1990s when states banded together and sued tobacco companies for the costs of smoking-related illnesses. However, there are some key differences.

Unlike the tobacco settlement, the cases against the opioid industry were settled...