Because Ray County is one of many counties affected by the Opioid Public Health Crisis, it has received $219,762.48 from the 2021 Opioid Settlement Agreement. States and state subdivisions reached settlements with Johnson & Johnson, an opioid manufacturer, and the three major pharmaceutical distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. “Drug overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal – have become an epidemic in Missouri over the past decade. Missouri ranked 32nd among all states and DC for drug overdose death rates in 2020 and is the number one leading cause of death among adults aged 18-44 in Missouri,” according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Medically, opioids are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. They are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use disorder, reversing opioid overdose and…