Opioid$

PEW is raising the alarm about billions of dollars in settlement money coming to states as opioid lawsuits end. 

"While the settlements will present a valuable opportunity, history provides a lesson about the importance of adopting safeguards to preserve the money for its intended use before it arrives. States received billions of dollars annually as a result of the historic settlement with tobacco companies in 1998. But in the absence of strong requirements that the funds be spent on tobacco use prevention and cessation programs, as originally envisioned, only a small percentage has been used for these purposes.

In the case of opioid settlements, policymakers can prevent a similar diversion by adopting clear policies and plans for use of the funds. As a first step, many decision-makers are considering setting aside their jurisdiction’s settlement money in a dedicated fund. That’s a start, but by itself it’s not enough to ensure that current and future leaders will use the money to make meaningful and sustained progress on opioid use disorder."

 

Ah yes, remember the tobacco settlement money? What did Alabama do with it?

Alabama received some $2,212.5 (That's $2.212 Billion) through 2020. And how much did the state spend on preventing smoking? $2.2 Million. Pocket change.

 Nonetheless, tobacco use of all kinds by teens is dropping, replaced  in some cases by "e-cigarettes":

 So, back to the opioid problem. 

• Billions of dollars are in the pipeline. 
• As usual, Alabama is short on cash. 

• When the check arrives, how much of it will go the the cause...i.e...opioids...and how much will be diverted to legislators' favorite programs?

 

 

Opioid Prescriptions

In 2018, Alabama providers wrote 97.5 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons. This was the highest prescribing rate in the country and almost twofold greater than the average U.S. rate of 51.4.⁴