USA. Who’s Policing Opioid Settlement Spending? A Crowdsourced Database Might Help
USA. Who’s Policing Opioid Settlement Spending? A Crowdsourced Database Might Help
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.” (KFF Health News, USA, 11.07.2025)
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/opioid-settlements-crowdsourced-database-monitor-spending-state-attorneys-general-oversight/