(MINEOLA, N.Y.) – On Monday, Feb. 5, the Blakeman administration announced a series of new grants for various health and drug treatment organizations which are being funded with proceeds from various lawsuits against the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of prescription opioid drugs.
Later in the day, the Legislature voted unanimously to approve a three-year, $1.8-million contract with Ed Moore Advertising. The funds will be applied toward a multimedia PSA campaign to promote awareness of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.
Following this morning’s announcement and this afternoon’s Legislative action, Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) issued the following statement:
“The opioid settlement was a punitive judicial outcome with a very clear purpose. We are losing people at an alarming rate, and many families across our County are continuing to suffer as their loved ones continue to struggle with addiction,” Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) said.
“As of today, Nassau County has received more than $92.5 million in opioid lawsuit settlement resources. However, less than $7 million has been spent to date, making the announcement at this morning’s press conference a disappointment in my opinion,” Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton added. “After two years of delays, the agencies that have been promised funding should have been paid in full, and a significant amount of additional funding should also have been released. Neither have happened.”
“To have just paid about one-seventh of our opioid funding more than two years later is an insult to every family that continues to struggle with the opioid epidemic. This money cannot be used for anything else other than addressing opioid addiction, and I feel Nassau must begin distributing this funding at a pace that meets the urgency of this crisis. Unfortunately, this administration has yet to demonstrate through its actions a true understanding of the needs of those who are seeking treatment,” Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton concluded.