Name: Opioid settlement money being used to fund law enforcement across U.S.
Uploaded: 2025-11-04T01:41:22.906Z
Duration: 3 min 28 s
Description: Over the past two decades, state and local governments have been able to secure more than $50 billion in settlement money related to the opioid epidemic. A new KFF Health News investigation found that in 2024, more than $61 million of that money was used to fund law enforcement.

Over the past two decades, state and local governments have been able to secure more than $50 billion in settlement money related to the opioid epidemic. A new KFF Health News investigation found that in 2024, more than $61 million of that money was used to fund law enforcement.

Washington

State and local governments in the United States have secured over $50 billion from opioid-related settlements, with guidelines suggesting the funds be used for addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery support. However, a recent investigation by KFF Health News found that in 2024, more than $61 million of these funds were allocated to law enforcement expenses, including equipment purchases such as tasers, drones, and police vehicles.

Local officials often cite a lack of treatment facilities as a reason for directing funds to police departments, especially in rural areas. Research indicates that increased law enforcement activities, such as drug busts and arrests, may actually worsen overdose death rates by deterring emergency calls. Additionally, some funds have been spent on prevention efforts like public concerts and events, though experts question the effectiveness of these one-off initiatives unless they are part of broader, sustained programs.

Opioid settlement money being used to fund law enforcement across U.S.

Over the past two decades state and local governments have been able to secure more than 50 billion dollars in settlement money related to the Opioid epidemic in the u.s But that money might not be going where you'd expect Many of those settlements with major drug companies outline how the money should be used but a new kff health news investigation Finds that in 2024 more than 61 million dollars was used to fund law enforcement The cdc says more than 500 000 people died from an overdose involving opioids between 1999 and 2022 Earlier this year all 50 states approved a 7.4 billion dollar settlement with purdue pharma the maker of oxycontin Over the company's marketing of opioids for more. Let's bring in the author of that article. Anari pitani She's a senior correspondent for kff health news. Thank you so much for being here So as we mentioned there are suggested outlines as to how state and local governments should use the money from these opioid settlements What are some of those suggested uses and how much money is actually going toward that? So the uses are pretty broad in the settlement They define addiction pretty broadly and try to put different buckets of ways that the money can be spent So things that would prevent an addiction from developing in the first place Money going towards treatment making treatment more accessible or helping people pay for treatment things that would help in long-term recovery Like housing or getting legal aid for folks who have a record Job training so there's a wide variety of ways that the settlement says the money can be used And what our tracking project that we did at kff health news along with partners at the johns hopkins boomberg school of public health And chatterproof what we found is that a good chunk of money is going to those sorts of things Uh, but there is also a lot of questionable spending happening So in your investigation, you found drug busts arrests they can actually exacerbate the overdose crisis So what did local officials tell you about why they're choosing to put the money toward law enforcement rather than those? other means that you mentioned Yeah, so I spoke with local officials all over the country different parts who are putting that money towards buying tasers buying drones buying police cruisers gun silencers and what I heard was a really common theme that This is the tool that we have to address addiction, especially in rural places A lot of folks were saying we don't have a treatment facility We don't run any treatment But what we do have is a police department or a sheriff's office and you know what our constituents think that those Efforts are effective at treating the addiction crisis at combating it. The problem is as you mentioned research does not support that There's a lot of studies that suggest that When there are more drug busts and arrests it deters people from calling 9-1-1 and overdose death rates actually go up So what are your other takeaways from this tracking project? So in addition to the law enforcement spending there's been a lot of interesting spending in the prevention realm things where elected officials say You know We need to be investing in our children and preventing the next generation from becoming addicted Which I think is a goal that by and large everyone i've spoken with agrees with however How it's approached seems to vary widely and we saw spending on public concerts spending on Sock hops where people took a pledge to remain drug free on an mma exhibition all these things that officials said, you know would stop addictions from starting and That a lot of researchers and experts in the public health realm are just incredibly skeptical that it's going to make a difference Unless it's part of some broader initiative that addresses these topics with kids over time. These one-off events are not effective All right, and harry patani. Thank you Thank you

There has been a sharp escalation in bloodshed in the conflict since Rapid Support Forces fighters captured the city of al-Fashir.

Al Fashir

United States working to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan

The Trump administration says it will restart the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but will only pay half the amount people usually get. The move comes after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the U.S.'s biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful.

Trump administration will partially restore food benefit funding

Manufacturing giant Kimberly-Clark is set to acquire Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, for $48.7 billion. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady has more details.

Kimberly-Clark to buy Tylenol maker Kenvue for nearly $50 billion

Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.

Pokrovsk

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine sends special forces to Pokrovsk

Israeli police have arrested a former military prosecutor after she leaked a video appearing to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee. Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was detained overnight on Monday following a scandal that erupted after she leaked a video, resigned and then disappeared.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel arrests ex-army lawyer over leaked video showing abuse

U.S. President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes he thinks Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's days are numbered amid the U.S. striking another boat in the Caribbean allegedly transporting drugs.

Trump sounds off on Venezuela's Maduro as deadly boat strikes continue

A mayor in Mexico's western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said. Local politicians in Mexico are frequently victims of political and organized crime violence.

Michoacán

Mexican mayor killed during Day of the Dead celebrations

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city's historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise.

Mazar-i-Sharif

Deadly earthquake rocks northern Afghanistan

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Los Angeles Dodgers' victory parade on Monday after they won the World Series over the weekend. The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings in Game 7 to become the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back World Series.

Los Angeles

Dodgers to hold championship parade after World Series victory

A 32-year-old man suspected of carrying out a bloody stabbing on a United Kingdom train is facing at least 10 criminal charges. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio has the latest.

London

UK train stabbing spree suspect faces attempted murder charges

Hamas handed over bodies of three hostages on Sunday (November 2), even as the Palestinian militant group traded blame with Israel for violations of the tenuous truce that has mostly halted two years of war.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Hamas hands over three more hostage bodies amid fragile ceasefire

Israel has threatened to increase attacks on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese government doesn't disarm the militant group, despite a ceasefire.

Israel warns of intensified strikes on Hezbollah if disarmament fails

U.S President Donald Trump has long promised to build a ballroom on the White House campus.
He originally said it wouldn’t touch the existing structure. But after just four days, the East Wing is gone. Torn down to make way for a much bigger ballroom than originally planned.

Trump’s $300m White House ballroom project sparks controversy

Two more suspects, a man and a woman arrested this week over the jewel heist at the Louvre, have been charged and remanded in custody, prosecutors have said. The charges on Saturday brought the number of people now charged over the spectacular robbery to four.

Paris

Two more charged over Louvre jewelry heist

British police say eleven people were injured, most of them seriously, in a mass stabbing on a London-bound train Saturday evening. Authorities have arrested two British-born men and are investigating their motive in the incident.

UK police rule out terrorism after mass stabbing on train

Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the world's largest museum dedicated to an ancient civilization. The new museum features tens of thousands of artifacts, including the full collection from King Tutankhamen's tomb.

Cairo

Grand Egyptian Museum opens after two decades of construction

Voters in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and California have already hit the polls for early voting before election day on Nov. 4. CBS News producer Jared Ochacher is following the New York City mayoral race.

New York

Mamdani commands double-digit lead over opponents in NYC mayoral race

The two-day APEC summit in South Korea has wrapped up with President Lee Jae Myung handing over hosting duties to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced the southern city of Shenzhen as the site for next year's summit.

Seoul

Rise of AI

Global Tariffs

APEC summit ends, Trump and Xi reach truce in trade war

When a US aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean next week, there will be 14,500 American troops in and around Puerto Rico. The Trump administration says it's aimed at curbing drug trafficking. But many fear something much bigger to come.

San Juan

Fears of conflict in Caribbean amid U.S military build-up

The coastal town of Black River, described by the Jamaican government as Hurricane Melissa's "ground zero," lies devastated after one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record tore through the island, claiming at least 19 lives and leaving a trail of unprecedented destruction.

Black River

Jamaica reels from catastrophic hurricane Melissa

FBI Director Kash Patel announced an operation that apparently "thwarted a potential terrorist attack" during Halloween weekend in Michigan. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane has more.

Dearborn

Patel says FBI stopped a potential "terror attack" in Michigan

Washington and Beijing are "in agreement on many things," U.S. President Donald Trump said after the face-to-face meeting that lasted nearly two hours, the first between both leaders in six years.

Breakdown