Wisconsin Seeks Public Input on Allocating $874 Million in Opioid Settlement Funds
核心洞察
Wisconsin expects to receive more than $874 million in opioid settlement funding from 2022 through 2038 following litigation against the pharmaceutical industry.
The Department of Health Services has launched an online survey, open through September 30, to gather public input on allocating next year's anticipated $11.6 million.
Since 2023, DHS has invested over $86 million in strategies including naloxone access, prevention education, and medication-assisted treatment.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (搜索) (DHS) has launched an online survey inviting public input on how the state should allocate its share of opioid settlement funds, as Wisconsin expects to receive more than $874 million in total funding from 2022 through 2038 resulting from litigation against the pharmaceutical industry. Next year, the state anticipates receiving $11.6 million for lifesaving strategies to support prevention programming, reduce overdose deaths and the spread of infectious disease, increase access to treatment, and invest in recovery services in communities across Wisconsin. The survey is available through September 30.
"Being able to hear from people who know best what their community needs to combat opioid use continues to be key to helping us identify priorities for this funding," said Michelle Haese, DHS Director of Substance Use Initiatives. "We will use the feedback from the survey to determine where we need to adapt our response efforts to ensure we can continue to save more lives from the dangers of opioid misuse."
Investment in Lifesaving Strategies
Since 2023, DHS has invested over $86 million in opioid settlement funding for life-saving strategies. These investments include increasing access to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, providing prevention education for students, meeting people where they are with medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder (搜索)—such as through a mobile unit—training providers, and supporting law enforcement needs. As a result of these investments, Wisconsin has made significant strides to address opioid use disorder in the state since a nationwide opioid epidemic was identified in the early 2000s.
"We want these funds to have as big an impact as possible in fighting the opioid epidemic," said Attorney General Kaul. "Feedback from the public can help those evaluating how these can be used most effectively."
Declining Overdose Deaths
While data for 2025 has not yet been finalized, Wisconsin recorded a total of 818 opioid overdose deaths in 2024, compared to 1,422 in 2023. Although no single strategy is responsible for the significant decreases Wisconsin has seen over the past two years, the collective efforts of local partners working together on prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services provide strength in every community to help those who need hope and to heal from an opioid use disorder (搜索).
Accessing Support Services
Anyone needing help finding services and supports for a substance use concern can connect with trained resource specialists at the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline by calling 211 or 833-944-4673, texting a ZIP code to 898211, or chatting at addictionhelpwi.org.