Attorney General James Appoints NYC Public Health Advocate Tracie M. Gardner to Opioids Settlement

New York Attorney General Letitia James has appointed Tracie M. Gardner of Brooklyn, New York, to the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board. This board provides recommendations for how New York’s opioid settlement funds should be utilized across communities in the state. Gardner, a seasoned expert in public health and health equity, brings over 30 years of experience to the board, which oversees the distribution of more than $2.7 billion secured by Attorney General James from opioid manufacturers and distributors. These funds are allocated for treatment, prevention, and abatement efforts.

Photo byLegal Action Center

“Tracie Gardner has spent her career bringing unique expertise to public health challenges, especially those that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said Attorney General James in a press release. “She is distinctly qualified to sit on the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board to help steer critical investments in prevention, treatment, and recovery programs to the most vulnerable in our state. In this new role, Tracie will help oversee the distribution of more than $2.7 billion that my office secured from companies that fueled the opioid crisis, and I look forward to seeing leaders across the state continue to use these funds to support communities that are still struggling. New Yorkers have suffered great losses from the opioid epidemic, but I am confident that Tracie’s work with the board will help us turn the tide on this crisis and save lives.”

“As New Yorkers continue to endure the devastating impact of the opioid crisis, Black and Brown New Yorkers face higher barriers to access quality addiction treatment and recovery and harm reduction services,” said Gardner. “My work has always focused on tackling New York’s public health challenges in a way that is equitable, just, and inclusive, and I look forward to supporting the board’s mission of prioritizing these critically needed resources in communities of color that have been torn apart by the overdose crisis and the war on drugs. I am deeply grateful to Attorney General James for this appointment. Her tireless efforts to secure these settlement funds for our state have set a national precedent that makes me confident that we can turn the tide of this epidemic.”

Since 2021, Attorney General James has secured over $2.7 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their roles in the opioid epidemic. These settlements include agreements with Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Publicis Health, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt, Allergan, Endo, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen. Additionally, Attorney General James has led multistate coalitions in reaching settlements for billions of dollars with CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart for their failures to properly regulate opioid prescriptions.

Attorney General James co-led a coalition of nearly every attorney general in the nation, securing more than $573 million – including over $32 million for New York state – from McKinsey & Company for their role in the crisis.

The Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board, established in 2022, makes recommendations to the governor and state legislative leaders on the allocation of funds from opioid settlements or litigation victories. Under the 2021 law that established the state’s opioid settlement fund, these funds are dedicated specifically to abatement efforts in communities devastated by the opioid epidemic and are distributed to all 62 counties in New York state. Since its inception, the board has developed ten priority investment areas, emphasizing the removal of barriers to treatment and addiction services in communities of color, to guide the allocation of settlement funds.