opioid settlement funds

Broome County will distribute over $402,000 in opioid settlement funds to local programs to reduce overdoses and support people dealing with addiction.

Seven local organizations will receive a total of over $850,000 in settlement funds, which come from pharmaceutical companies that played a role in the opioid crisis.

Local organizations can now apply for up to $150,000 in grants to help combat the overdose epidemic.

The state has set aside $7.5 million of its opioid settlement money to fund regional health care providers offering low-threshold addiction treatment.

New York state is still sorting out how to spend over $2 billion in opioid settlement money from pharmaceutical companies, which played a role in the opioid crisis. Southern Tier counties, many still battered by rising overdose rates, are deciding how best to spend funds they’ve received from signing on to settlements.

The Southern Tier region will receive about $4.8 million from the settlement in 2022. The initial payout on Tuesday totaled about $759,000 for the region.

“It’s important, again, that we use these funds to provide lifesaving drugs, and lifesaving treatment.”

"It’s important that these companies pay up, it’s also important that the money go to where it was intended."