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'I took it as far as I could': Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on settling with Purdue Pharma

Connecticut Public Radio | By John Henry Smith
Published March 4, 2022 at 6:28 PM EST
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, left, announces a new $6 billion settlement deal with Stamford-based Purdue Pharma, the makers of Oxycontin. Tong was joined at his office in Hartford Thurs., March 3, 2022 by Connecticut family members like Paige Niver (right), of Manchester, who've been affected by the opioid epidemic.
Nicole Leonard
/
Connecticut Public Radio
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (left) announces a new $6 billion settlement with Stamford-based Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, on Thurs., March 3, 2022. Tong was joined at his office in Hartford by Connecticut family members, including Paige Niver (right) of Manchester, who've been affected by the opioid epidemic.

Connecticut State Attorney General William Tong joined "All Things Considered" a day after he announced that Connecticut is expected to receive $95 million for treatment and prevention of opioid addiction.

This money is part of a multibillion-dollar national settlement of a major opioid lawsuit against Stamford-based Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.

Tong talks about the grief he got for refusing to accept the Sacklers' smaller settlement offer last year, why he thought now was the time to settle, which non-monetary part of the settlement satisfies him the most, and why he still doesn't think justice was done.
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John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith is Connecticut Public’s host of All Things Considered, its flagship afternoon news program. He's proud to be a part of the team that won a regional Emmy Award for The Vote: A Connecticut Conversation. In his 21st year as a professional broadcaster, he’s covered both news and sports.
See stories by John Henry Smith

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.