The money coming into Michigan communities is intended to help with the drug epidemic. The Oakland County suburb is using it to pay itself back for old costs.
Demand reduction strategies are vital for reducing the long-term incidence of substance use disorders, especially among our state’s vulnerable minority populations.
An internal email lays out plans to dissolve a legislative commission that has pushed for transparency and accountability in how the state spends $1.6 billion in opioid settlement funds.
Democrats are trying to throw part of the blame for the opioid crisis on U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who advocated for greater pain med access two decades ago.
Without a central reporting requirement, Michiganders can be left in the dark at how their communities are using funds to combat the drug crisis. Bridge’s investigation is the most exhaustive to date.
Use Bridge’s database to search how opioid settlement funds are being allocated by community in Michigan. Most of the money is being spent on recovery, drug courts, defibrillators and the like.
Farmington Hills has used about $120,000 from an opioid lawsuit settlement to repay itself for past drug-fighting costs. Almost all other cities are using the money to help current users or future drug-fighting efforts.
Michigan doesn’t track how cities are spending their share of a landmark lawsuit settlement with opioid manufacturers. A Bridge investigation finds 4 in 10 haven’t spent money yet on the crisis that has upended thousands of lives.
A three-month investigation by Bridge Michigan has revealed that only 28% of the $156 million received by Michigan counties and municipalities so far as part of nationwide opioid settlement agreements has been budgeted or spent.
Mike Rogers advocated for policies to increase opioid prescriptions as the national addiction crisis unfolded. Now running for U.S. Senate, Rogers blames doctors and a lack of federal enforcement.
Proposed payouts in Kroger opioid settlement money vary from over $2 million for Wayne County — to $10.39 for Union Charter Township. The latest calculations reveal the complexity of what seems a windfall for the state in tackling the drug crisis.
A new program has success targeting twin crises: The worker shortage and opioid crisis, challenging old notions about the reliability of in-recovery workers. The state is paying attention.
Millions of dollars are coming to help the Upper Peninsula combat opioid addiction, but finding consensus among county governments to pool resources is difficult.
While still inadequate in many communities, addiction services are on the rise, thanks in part to an influx of millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds.
Several members of the Michigan Opioid Advisory Commission said addiction shouldn’t be partisan, but that politics are shutting them out of spending discussions.
While it’s important to provide immediate relief to those impacted by the opioid crisis, it’s equally important to invest in the future health and well-being of our communities. This requires a thoughtful approach.
