Ala. launches new effort to guide opioid settlement spending

John Sharp | jsharp@al.com/TNS

By John Sharp
al.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Documented cases of opioid settlement funds being used for police gear and fire department equipment, have raised concerns, especially as many communities invest little in actually addressing the deadly drugs driving the crisis.

In Alabama, some city officials, both large and small, have even told the state Attorney General’s Office they do not know how to spend their share of the money that comes from companies accused of responsibility in the overdose epidemic.

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A new effort aims to change that by giving local governments a clearer and more strategic path. The initiative brings to Alabama a data-driven framework already used in Mobile and Mobile County that relies on statistical modeling and artificial intelligence to map overdose trends, identify service gaps, and help craft targeted action plans.

The Helios Alliance announced Tuesday that it will partner with Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office and the Alabama League of Municipalities to guide cities and counties through the process.

“This is a generational opportunity, and it belongs to our local leaders,” Marshall said in a statement provided by the Helios Alliance on Wednesday. “No one understands this crisis better than the people living it, and no one has a more important role in solving it. The settlement funds are here, and the Helios approach gives our communities the tools to put them to work.”

Greg Cochran, executive director of the Alabama League of Municipalities, said the collaboration with Marshall and the Helios Alliance is meant to “educate our members on best practices in utilizing the funds from the opioid settlement in their communities.” He said Marshall and Helios will present their program during the organization’s annual convention later this month in Montgomery.

A joint survey of Alabama cities, which was conducted by The Helios Alliance and the League of Municipalities, revealed that most responding cities want more guidance on how to spend the settlement dollars properly and effectively.

The Helios Alliance, a nonprofit collaborative that models opioid abatement planning, was awarded a $154,000 contract in 2024 to work with the City of Mobile on identifying the most impactful uses of its settlement money.

The organization’s work produced an action plan for Mobile’s first round of settlement funds last year, totaling $2.2 million . The city council followed the alliance’s recommendations, distributing the money to a drug court and other groups.

It is not yet clear how much funding support The Helios Alliance will receive from the state. The group has already received $500,000 from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to support its work.

A spokesperson with The Helios Alliance said there is no contract in place yet, describing their work as an “understanding and effort to work together and share resources.”

Dr. Rahul Gupta, former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, praised Marshall and the Helios Alliance for “doing the hard work of asking the right questions” about where opioid settlement money should go.

In a statement provided by The Helios Alliance, Gupta said the work will be built into a model that lasts.

“We cannot allow this crisis to fade into yesterday’s news,” Gupta said. “More than 77,000 families a year are still losing someone they love. The reality demands sustained focus, accountability and long-term commitment.”

The efforts in Alabama come as national attention has increasingly focused on questionable uses of opioid settlement funds. KFF, an independent organization focused on health policy research, polling and journalism, noted that in 2024, $61 million in settlement funds were spent on law enforcement efforts.

In Erie County, N.Y., the town of Lackawanna spent almost all of its settlement money on defibrillators for the fire department , which critics say have little impact on reversing the opioid crisis.

The settlement money is intended to fight addiction. Over the next two decades, state and local governments across the country will receive more than $50 billion.

Caroline Etherton, chair of The Helios Alliance, said she believes her organization can provide a roadmap for Alabama communities struggling to determine the right uses for these resources. She said Marshall’s leadership and commitment have helped ensure “every Alabama community has the resources and the roadmap to make a real difference.”
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