After years of legal battles, state attorneys general won billions of dollars in opioid settlements from drug companies accused of fueling the addiction crisis. They declared victory at press conferences, and some touted the deals during their gubernatorial campaigns.
But now that the windfall is being spent, are attorneys general doing enough to ensure it’s used for the intended purposes?
No, say many families affected by the overdose crisis, recovery and harm reduction advocates, policy experts, and researchers following the cash.
“This is blood money,” said Toni Torsch, a Maryland resident whose son Dan died of an overdose at age 24. It can’t make up for the lives lost, but “we do want to make sure that it’s going to count.”
Torsch and others affected by the crisis are increasingly worried that no one seems to be guarding the opioid settlement cash while elected officials eye it hungrily. With the Trump administration slashing federal funding for addiction and Congress approving massive reductions to Medicaid — the largest payer for addiction care nationwide — people fear state legislators will use the settlements as a grab bag to fill budget shortfalls.
In the face of these concerns, two research and advocacy organizations are proposing a solution: a crowdsourced database to identify potential examples of misuse and prompt attorneys general to investigate.
The Opioid Policy Institute and Popular Democracy launched a website that allows members of the public to submit alleged cases of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of opioid settlement funds. Submissions are reviewed by Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute, and then posted with details such as how much money was spent, what was purchased, who made the decision, and links to relevant news articles or budget docu …