Principles for Using Opioid Settlement Funding: How States, Counties, and Tribes Have Prepared to Spend Dollars

The overdose crisis continues to be a pervasive public health issue, impacting the lives of countless people across the United States. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the contaminated illicit drug supply, data suggests the highest number of fatal overdoses ever recorded in 2021, which particularly impact Black and Indigenous communities. As America seeks options to address this crisis, states, counties, cities, and tribes have begun to see an influx of dollars from litigation against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies that can be used to address substance use. This estimated $40 billion could provide much needed opportunities for innovation.

In order to support effective use of the litigation dollars, The Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation were developed by the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative and its partners. A diverse coalition of more than 60 groups have endorsed the original Principles and have worked collaboratively to advocate for their implementation. Since their release, the Principles have been widely adapted and used at the state, county, and local levels. Additional work has been done to create and guide a parallel approach with tribal communities, in consideration of the unique, sovereign rights of tribal nations, the historical relationship of mistrust between public health interventions and Indigenous communities, and the differential impact of the overdose crisis on Indigenous communities.

Presenters will share updates from the litigation and lessons learned from the process and how states and localities used the Principles to make decisions.