Recently, the federal government and many state and local governments won a landmark $26 billion settlement from opioid manufacturers and distributors. The states involved in the lawsuits will get allotments of the payouts. Experts, however, are comparing the payouts to the tobacco settlement money and saying that the distribution of funds on the state level must be transparent.

Some states are publicly unveiling their plans. Unfortunately, others have not yet committed to using the money to combat the addiction epidemic.

California’s Focus on More Treatment

California will get about $2 billion of the settlement dollars, a combination of payout from distributors and manufacturers. The money will be earmarked for addiction and recovery resources. However, the money hasn’t arrived just yet. After that, localities will be able to decide precisely where they need to concentrate funding.

For example, in San Luis Obispo County, they plan to invest in programs for naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, to combat the 60% uptick in drug overdoses in the past year.

Colorado’s Commitment to More Addiction Resources

In Colorado, the work to decide how they will spend $400 million has already been revealed by Attorney General Phil Weiser. A lot of how the money is distributed, however, is via state channels, according to an article in the Denver Channel:

“Under the memorandum of understanding reached between Weiser’s office and local governments, the state is split up into 19 regions, which will receive 60% of the settlement money. Each region will have boards comprised of local government officials that will work to decide on how to best utilize the money for their areas when it comes to helping stem the opioid crisis.”

A Good Start, But More Still Needed

Many resources dried up during the COVID crisis, and these settlements are a good way for states and municipalities to meet immediate needs. However, there is a need for long-term solutions, such as more sober housing and treatment facilities. Nevertheless, the money can do a lot of good for the addiction recovery community.

Keep an eye out for any grants or funds that are launched locally. Some of this money will be invested in treatment programs and Medication-Assisted Treatment.

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