NJ wants to hear from you — how to spend $641M in opioid settlements

You can be a part of directing how New Jersey uses hundreds of millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds over the next several years.

State officials are asking for input from members of the public, advocates, treatment providers, and others, on the best way to use the funds in order to limit further addiction and overdose deaths.

"We are taking their comments and feedback very seriously. That's why we set up this process," said Sarah Adelman, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services.

An online portal launched on Aug. 31, to start taking submissions regarding the use of funds in 2023. The online option closes on Oct. 31, but it'll reopen several times over the years, since spending of the settlement funds will occur annually.

As of Thursday, the portal had received about 160 submissions. Use of the funds must be related to fighting drug addiction.

As part of nationwide settlement agreements in 2021 with opioid manufacturers and distributors, New Jersey and various counties and municipalities are getting $641 million over the next two decades, according to Gov. Phil Murphy's office. An additional opioid settlement reached in August will provide further funding to New Jersey.

Along with the announcement of the online portal, Murphy signed Executive Order 305, creating a council, chaired by Adelman, that's tasked with making recommendations regarding the effective use of the settlement funds.

"The input we receive from the Advisory Council that will be created through my Executive Order and online portal will provide valuable insight into how our state can use these funds to further bolster and expand our ongoing support for the many families and communities impacted by this crisis," Murphy said.

Submitting your proposal for usage of the settlement funds can also be done by mail:

Opioid Funds Proposal c/o
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.