At one point, Montmorency County has, on a per-capita basis, received more opioid pills than most other counties in Michigan.

Some 4 million pills flowed into the county between 2006 and 2012, according to a database made public following a court fight by news organizations that tracked drug shipments.

In short, the opioid crisis hit Northeast Michigan hard.

Now, our region’s governments will have a collective $2 million to help combat the problem.

The region’s four counties each opted in to lawsuit settlements agreed to in July by Johnson and Johnson and the country’s three largest pharmaceutical distributors, News staff writer Julie Riddle reported recently.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office estimates Alpena County will receive $1.1 million from the settlement in payments that may stretch over as many as 18 years. Another $500,000 is anticipated to go to Presque Isle County and about $300,000 each should go to Montmorency and Alcona counties.

Recipients must spend the settlement money on efforts to treat or prevent opioid misuse. Such efforts could include training for first responders and health care providers, hiring of behavioral health workers, and services for pregnant women battling substance use disorders.

We’re excited to see what our local governments come up with to help combat the problem, which remains an issue.

That money is certainly welcome, and certainly needed.

While not entirely related to opioids, last year, Alpena County recorded an average of 30 overdose-related emergency room visits per 100,000 people every month, compared to 25 per 100,000 people monthly statewide. The county’s overdose death rate is not as bad as the death rate statewide.

We hope our local governments spend their share of the opioid settlement with great haste.