Tribal Nations Invest Opioid Settlement Funds in Traditional Healing To Treat Addiction
Hundreds of Native American tribes are getting money from settlements with companies that made or sold prescription painkillers. Some are investing it in sweat lodges, statistical models, and insurance-billing staffers.
Why Opioid Settlement Money Is Paying County Employees鈥 Salaries
More than $4.3 billion in opioid settlement money has landed in the hands of city, county and state officials to date 鈥 with billions more on the way. But instead of using the cash to add desperately needed treatment, recovery and prevention services, some places are using it to replace existing funding. Local officials say […]
Swap Funds or Add Services? Use of Opioid Settlement Cash Sparks Strong Disagreements
The national opioid settlements don鈥檛 prohibit using money for initiatives already supported by other means, but doing so could dilute the impact.
Track Opioid Settlement Payouts 鈥 To the Cent 鈥 In Your Community
Want to know how much opioid settlement money your city, county, or state has received so far? Or how much it’s expecting in the future? Use our new searchable database to find out.
Statistical Models vs. Front-Line Workers: Who Knows Best How to Spend Opioid Settlement Cash?
A mathematical model designed to direct spending of opioid settlement funds is at the center of a debate over whether to invest in technology to guide long-term decisions or focus on the immediate needs of people in addiction.
Federal Lawmakers Take First Steps Toward Oversight of $50 Billion in Opioid Settlements
The four-page bill lists how states should spend settlement money, but it doesn鈥檛 specify consequences for flouting the rules or name who is in charge of monitoring compliance.
The Year in Opioid Settlements: 5 Things You Need to Know
In the past year, opioid settlement money has gone from an emerging funding stream for which people had lofty but uncertain aspirations to a coveted pot of billions being invested in remediation efforts. Here are some important and evolving factors to watch going forward.
鈥楾hey See a Cash Cow鈥: Corporations Could Consume $50 Billion of Opioid Settlements
As opioid settlement dollars land in government coffers, a swarm of businesses are positioning themselves to profit from the windfall. But will their potential gains come at the expense of the settlements鈥 intended purpose 鈥 to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic?
Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise
Some states haven’t begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.
Watch and Listen: Opioid Settlement Case Triggers Protests Outside the High Court
The Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma 鈥 which marketed OxyContin 鈥 could claim immunity from future lawsuits without claiming bankruptcy.
Gubernatorial Candidates Tout Opioid Settlements
Tuesday鈥檚 election served as a testing ground for themes that could resonate with voters in 2024. Abortion is obviously among the biggest. One that鈥檚 not getting as much attention as it deserves: opioid settlement money. In Kentucky, both the newly reelected Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, and his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, were involved […]
Gubernatorial Candidates Quarrel Over Glory for Winning Opioid Settlements
Some gubernatorial candidates are sparring over bragging rights for their state鈥檚 share of $50 billion in opioid settlement funds. Many of the candidates are attorneys general who pursued the lawsuits that produced the payouts.
Using Opioid Settlement Cash for Police Gear Like Squad Cars and Scanners Sparks Debate
State and local governments will receive a windfall of more than $50 billion over 18 years from settlements with companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers. Using the funds for law enforcement has triggered important questions about what the money was meant for.
Officials Agree: Use Settlement Funds to Curb Youth Addiction. But the 鈥楬ow鈥 Gets Hairy.
Parents, educators, and elected officials agree that investing in school-based prevention efforts could help curb the rising rate of youth drug overdoses. The well-known D.A.R.E. program is one likely choice, but its effectiveness is in question.
Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash
State attorneys general vowed that opioid settlement funds 鈥 unlike the tobacco settlement of the 1990s 鈥 would go toward tackling the underlying crisis. But in Mendocino County, officials have found a way to use some of its share to help fill a budget shortfall 鈥 a throwback to what agreement architects hoped to avoid.
Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash
As settlement dollars land at the state level, state councils wield significant power in determining how the windfall gets spent. And, though they will likely include the most knowledgeable voices on addiction, these panels also face concerns about conflicts of interest and other issues.
What You Need to Know About the Opioid Settlement Funds
States and localities are receiving more than $54 billion over nearly two decades.
Se hacen p煤blicos por primera vez los pagos a los gobiernos locales por el acuerdo sobre opioides
Algunos estados, como Carolina del Norte y 聽Colorado, han publicado en internet los detalles de su distribuci贸n. Pero en la mayor铆a de los lugares es complicado.
Find Out How Much Opioid Settlement Cash Your Locality Received
You can use documents obtained by 蘑菇影院 Health News to see the exact dollar amounts that local governments in your state have been allocated in 2022 and 2023.
Opioid Settlement Payouts to Localities Made Public for First Time
蘑菇影院 Health News obtained documents showing the exact dollar amounts 鈥 down to the cent 鈥 that local governments have been allocated in 2022 and 2023 to battle the ongoing opioid crisis.
