A national tracking the spending of opioid settlement funds found 黑料吃瓜网 and other states sat on millions of dollars of that money during 2022 and 2023.
The data, compiled by the nonprofit KFF Health News, found 黑料吃瓜网 received $85 million in opioid settlement funds in 2022 and 2023.
Of that money, $80.5 million was not spent or allocated by the state鈥檚 Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee, according to KFF.
鈥満诹铣怨贤� is not the only one like this 鈥� West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia,鈥� also followed suit, said Aneri Pattani of KFF.
鈥淵ou have people who look at that and say, there are $80 million sitting there while folks are dying on the street, while they couldn't get into treatment.鈥�
CT accelerates opioid settlement spending in recent months
The KFF database was launched last December. Since then, 黑料吃瓜网 has stepped up the pace.
In January, the state鈥檚 settlement committee allocated $58.6 million 鈥� its largest allocation to date 鈥� to fund a new housing program for unhoused people with opioid use disorder.
黑料吃瓜网 was part of a nationwide effort to secure more than $50 billion to counter the opioid epidemic. From that, the state secured $600 million to support treatment, prevention and recovery.
In January, an additional $1.4 billion was added to a nationwide settlement with members of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma, Inc, for its role in the opioid crisis.
Following that announcement, Nancy Navarretta, commissioner of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Mental Health and Addiction Services, detailed how the state was already spending its settlement money.
鈥淧revious to this announcement, we've already put out $91.3 million out the door, with the help of my colleagues who are on the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee,鈥� Navarretta said. 鈥淭hese initiatives will strengthen prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction efforts across the state.鈥�
CT鈥檚 push to expand sterile syringe access
In 黑料吃瓜网, about 20% of the state鈥檚 allocations went toward expanding syringe service programs.
In November 2023, the state鈥檚 settlement committee approved $500,000 to expand harm reduction supplies via seven agencies, including the 黑料吃瓜网 Harm Reduction Alliance. The move came after committee members and lawmakers expressed frustration over delays in allocating the funds.
Harm reduction agencies provide sterile needles to people with opioid use disorder, carry the fentanyl overdose reversal drug Naloxone, connect people to treatment and offer social supports, including housing.
Pattani, with KFF, noted 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 push to make sterile syringes more widely available was not a national trend.
鈥淚t's one of the areas that public health officials recommend people spend this money,鈥� Pattani said. 鈥淗owever across the country, less than 2% of the opioid settlement funds that we tracked went towards syringe service programs.鈥�
