$25M In Opioid Settlement Grants To Be Distributed By Suffolk County

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Suffolk County is set to distribute funds from the multi-million dollar settlement agreements it reached with major opioid distributors and retail pharmacies, Executive Steve Bellone announced Thursday in Hauppauge.

Suffolk will have more than $200 million to fight the opioid epidemic over the next 20 years, according to Bellone. The funds will help the county battle the opioid crisis, along with allowing it to aid those who have been affected by the drugs.

"We are dedicated to the idea that these funds will go toward helping those individuals and families who have suffered; that these funds will go toward helping to end the opioid epidemic once and for all," Bellone said. "Every single dollar. That is our commitment."

Opioid-related deaths declined for the first time in many years in 2019. However, the coronavirus pandemic reversed the progress, and opioid-related deaths began to rise again, Bellone said.

"For far too long, our region, much like the rest of the nation, has been plagued by the opioid epidemic," Bellone said.

Suffolk was the first county in New York state to sue drug makers in connection with the opioid crisis, as well as implement Narcan training used by all patrol officers in the county's police department.

"We were the first county in New York state and virtually the entire nation to file suit against the manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies who caused this epidemic, and to hold accountable, in some way, those responsible for these tragic deaths," Bellone said.

Suffolk in July 2022 announced $25 million in grant funding for the first round. Of the 111 applications received from 77 organizations, the $25 million will be spread across 34 different organizations to cover operational expenses in fighting the opioid epidemic over the next three years.

Hospitals, municipalities, community-based organizations and youth groups were among the applicants that will use the money for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.

An additional $11 million was awarded in one-time capital funds for projects related to fighting the epidemic, Bellone said.

A selection panel and substance-use disorder experts at the Suffolk County Health Department reviewed all applications and will now oversee how the grant money is applied by recipients. That data will inform how a second round of grant money is used.

The second round of grant applications is expected to launch later this year, Bellone said. Organizations that did not receive funding were encouraged to apply again, as well as entities that did not apply in the first round.

Bellone stressed the importance of quickly allocating the funds, adding that the county will try to ensure the funds are spent "in the best way possible."

"We understand the stakes," he said. "We understand these settlement dollars can never bring back the loved ones of those who have been lost to this terrible epidemic. But our hope is that with this additional funding, we will be able to reduce suffering, prevent future tragedies, and ultimately, help to end this crisis once and for all."

Kevin McCaffrey, Suffolk County's presiding officer, said the county's goal is to distribute the funds toward prevention, treatment, and counseling to prevent future opioid-related deaths.