This past February, New York along with 46 other states, Washington, D.C. and five U.S. territories were awarded a $573 million settlement after the federal government and states sued OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma for personal and societal costs that the opioid epidemic has caused. New York’s $32 million share of this settlement is not going directly to drug related programs but instead went to the State’s general fund. Lawmakers and advocates are concerned that the settlement money will not be used to address the opioid epidemic, and instead will be used for other state expenses.

On Tuesday May 4, Assemblyman Billy Jones (D- Chateaugay Lake) joined advocates and lawmakers at a rally on the Capitol steps in Albany to demand that the money from this settlement be designated specifically for substance use programs. “Everyone in the North Country has been impacted by the opioid epidemic in some way, especially over the past year as overdoses increased at an alarming rate due to isolation experienced while the state was shut down,” Assemblyman Jones said. “Programs that help people who have substance use disorders need financial support now more than ever to address this startling increase. The opioid settlement money must be used only as supplemental funding to help the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports provide critical resources needed to combat this crisis.”

Jones also is a co-sponsor to A.6395 which would require that all opioid settlement money go into a chemical dependence service fund, and not be used to supplant or replace existing state funding. “We must work together to support all those in recovery. I am proud to co-sponsor legislation that will ensure that this settlement money goes to the people whose lives were directly impacted by the opioid epidemic.”