Experts: Spend opioid settlement funds on fighting opioids

As a $26 billion settlement over the toll of opioids looms, some public health experts are citing the 1998 agreement with tobacco companies as a cautionary tale of runaway government spending and missed opportunities for saving more lives. “And I think it’s critical that the opioid settlement dollars are spent wisely.” Lawyers for states and local governments and the companies laid out key details of the settlement on Wednesday and said there are provision to make sure the money is used as intended. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said the opioid agreement requires state and local governments to use the vast majority of the money on abatement — and that will be subject to a court order. Grant Woods, a former Arizona Attorney General who’s been involved in both the tobacco and opioid lawsuits, said the difference this time is that “everybody wants this money to go towards opioids and abatement around the country” The deal would be part of the ongoing effort to address the nationwide opioid addiction and overdose crisis. Campaign President Matthew L. Myers said the tobacco settlement is “one of the greatest missed public health opportunities of our lifetime.” “We would have saved massively more lives,” he said if more money was spent on cessation and prevention.