Local Counties to Receive Funds to Combat Opioid Epidemic

Senator Pam Helming, who served as a member of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, has announced that counties in the 54th District will receive funding under the state’s new Opioid Settlement Fund.

In June 2021, the State Legislature unanimously approved a law establishing the Opioid Settlement Fund to ensure that all funds collected by the state from opioid settlements or litigation victories be allocated to local prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

Senator Helming said, “Behind the opioid overdose statistics are people. This is an issue that touches nearly everyone. Either you have a family member or friend who has struggled with opioid abuse, or you know someone else who has. By many reports, the pandemic has made the opioid crisis worse. These funds will support local efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and help more people struggling with substance abuse, mental health challenges, and other problems. The bottom line is we must do everything we can to get people the support they need and save more lives.”

According to the New York Attorney General, local counties are slated to receive the following initial funding:

• Cayuga County: $759,507.23 – $1,326,868.14
• Monroe County: $10,883,598.98 – $19,250,151.60  
• Ontario County: $1,101,147.15 – $1,923,717.13
• Seneca County: $325,185.88 – $568,103.59
• Tompkins County: $989,886.25 – $1,729,343.04
• Wayne County: $835,637.20 – $1,459,868.10

*These are the minimum and maximum amounts each county can receive from current settlements.

Senator Helming has worked with counties, law enforcement, and community agencies to address the heroin and opioid epidemic locally, including securing state funding for mobile addiction treatment services and a new addiction recovery center for Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA), and advocating for federal dollars to expand residential treatment beds.

According to the American Medical Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the nation’s drug overdose epidemic. Every state has reported a spike or increase in overdose deaths or other problems, and overdoses related to prescription opioids and heroin remain high.