Opioids
Increasing the impact of opioid settlement funds
COMMENTARY | States bear a heavy responsibility to administer and leverage the money for the public’s benefit. They can do that through a data-driven approach.
States, tribes get $1.5 billion to fight the opioid epidemic
The federal funds will support substance use prevention and treatment efforts, workforce capacity building and access to medications to reduce addiction.
Annual naloxone distribution day expands to at least 32 states this year
The event is about 'second chances for communities, not just individuals,' one organizer says.
Public voices often ignored in states’ opioid settlement money decisions
People, including those who have lost loved ones to the opioid crisis or are dealing with it daily, are routinely shut out of having a meaningful say in how the settlement windfall can be best used to address the damage.
HIV infection rates are down everywhere but the South
A new federal grant program looks to improve health equity in Southern states for vulnerable populations like individuals of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Stigma is hindering treatment of opioid addictions. States can change that.
The health care workforce is key to treating patients' opioid use disorders, but experts say stigma toward drug use and treatment among medical professionals remains a barrier to treatment access and positive outcomes.
A $15M grant program looks to improve maternal mental, behavioral health
Pregnant people are at a heightened risk of developing mental health or substance use disorders, which is why the federal government is investing in a program to improve health care for new parents amid a maternal health crisis.
Supreme Court issues rulings on opioid settlement, overturns Chevron doctrine
As the term nears its end, the high court has issued a flurry of decisions that will affect state and local governments.
An overlooked tool for chipping away at the opioid crisis
Too few states are assessing residents for substance use disorders, a practice that one expert says could get drug users into treatment earlier.
Could this state's health ‘hub’ model treating opioid addiction go nationwide?
Washington state's model provides a walk-in, “one-stop shop” for substance-use disorder patients. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is now championing it in Congress.
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A new tool aims to help communities spend their opioid settlement money wisely
The dashboard helps local governments estimate how much money to expect and, based on that, offers evidence-based recommendations on how best to spend it.
City directs a cut of opioid settlement funds to grieving families
This summer, some families in Boston could start receiving payments to cover funeral expenses and legal services.
City tackles first responders’ opioid compassion fatigue
When physically and emotionally exhausted emergency personnel started saying, “Let them die,” officials in Huntington, West Virginia, knew they had a problem. They also had a solution.
Clean needles save lives. In some states, they might not be legal.
In Pennsylvania, where 5,158 people died from a drug overdose in 2022, the state’s drug paraphernalia law stands in the way of harm reduction programs that distribute sterile syringes.
San Francisco tries tough love by tying welfare to drug rehab
Starting in January 2025, public assistance recipients who screen positive for addiction on a 10-question drug abuse test will be referred to treatment. Those who refuse or fail to show up for treatment will lose their benefits.
What's the poop? Wastewater data predicts overdoses
Analyzing wastewater samples can help public health workers paint a reliable picture of a community’s rapidly evolving drug use to to get ahead of overdoses.
First state-regulated overdose prevention center preps for opening
Rhode Island is using part of its opioid settlement money to expand harm reduction strategies and demonstrate how the center can impact drug use, crime and recovery.
To stop fentanyl deaths in Philadelphia, knocking on doors and handing out overdose kits
City officials hope that this proactive approach will normalize naloxone as an everyday item in the medicine cabinet, and prevent people from dying of overdoses, especially Black residents.
How states can help formerly incarcerated individuals stay sober
A Medicaid waiver can help state corrections facilities finance reentry services aimed at keeping previously incarcerated individuals in recovery and curbing the opioid crisis.
Track opioid settlement payouts—to the cent—in your community
Determining how much money has arrived is the first step in assessing whether the settlements will make a dent in the nation’s addiction crisis.
