In Monday night’s session, Town Meeting members appropriated the roughly $1 million that Lexington received from the 2021 Statewide Opioid Settlement reached between the Massachusetts Attorney General and big players in the opioid industry. The passing of the article established Lexington’s Opioid Mitigation Special Revenue Fund, which puts all previous and future funding received for addiction recovery and prevention into one place. The Town received the first payment in 2022 and will continue to receive payments for the next 18 years.
“The Town of Lexington will utilize the settlement funds to develop plans and programs for those affected by the opioid crisis,” said Select Board member Mark Sandeen in a statement before voting. “These funds will be used for education, prevention, treatment, and harm reduction programs.” The specifics are still being worked out, but Sandeen said the money will be used to develop opioid rescue kits, provide community response training, and create additional programs developed in collaboration with those with lived experiences of the opioid epidemic.
Once the fund sees more of the money, Town Manager Jim Malloy said that a report of the fund’s expenditures will likely be included in the brown book of spending reports that all meeting members receive.
As for a more detailed plan, Malloy said “there is one being developed right now.” The health department is organizing a working group that has so far put together Narcan kits that are already being distributed. “They’ll be working on that over the next year, and developing what their actual spending plan is as they begin to get more of these revenues in,” said Malloy.
In 2021, Gov. Maura Healy, who was attorney general at the time, helped reach an agreement with drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and three of the largest pharmaceutical distributors to settle claims related to the opioid epidemic. Multiple states were involved in the landmark $26 billion settlement, with Massachusetts receiving $500 million. Some 40 percent of that money will be distributed to cities and towns that signed on to the agreement. The rest of the money will support a state Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. Massachusetts has since received additional funds from other companies implicated in the opioid crisis, including CVS, Walgreens, and Publicis Health, an advertising company that worked with Purdue Pharma to market OxyContin.
Around $40 million was distributed to cities and towns across the Commonwealth by the end of fiscal year 2023. A WCVB investigation from January found that only around five percent—or $2 million—has been spent. While there are state guidelines for how the money can be used, there is no deadline for when towns must spend the money.
I was one of three residents in attendance! Yes, there is a problem. Will a $1 million help?
Narcan Training- Learn how to save lives at this free Narcan Training by the Town of Lexington Department of Public Health and the Human Services Department. Naloxone rescue kits will be provided for participants. Seating is limited.