More than three years after Michigan communities began receiving millions of dollars to fight the opioid epidemic, some have yet to spend any funds. Michigan is set to receive at least $1.6 billion over 18 years from a national lawsuit settlement with drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies deemed partly responsible for the opioid crisis. The funds began arriving in January 2023. The state receives half the money, with the remainder split between Michigan counties, townships and cities.
A 2024 investigation found that more than 40% of communities had not spent any funds, with about $90 million sitting in bank accounts. A 2025 survey by the Michigan Association of Counties of 36 counties that responded found 40% had yet to open their checkbooks, an improvement from 2024 when 51% hadn’t spent money. Settlement funds are meant to help mitigate the continued harm of the opioid crisis, which as recently as 2023 killed nearly 3,000 Michiganders with an estimated 80% opioid-related. While overdose deaths declined to 1,938 in 2024, the last year with complete state data, the number of Michigan residents dying from drugs was still higher than those who died in car crashes.
Unspent Funds and Implementation Challenges
Grand Traverse County, where Traverse City is located, has about $2 million from the settlement in the bank and is expected to receive $6.2 million overall, yet has not spent any funds. County Health Officer Mike Lahey said the process took time to figure out how to use the one-time funds to best address the crisis. “Some localities, while appreciating the funds, were like, ‘Now what?’ It was a new source of money with new types of parameters around it.”
Success With Naloxone Distribution
One success story involves settlement funding for naloxone distribution. Since 2023, Michigan has spent $14.8 million in settlement money for 424,882 kits of naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, used to revive people who have overdosed on opioids. That effort is credited at least in part for the decline of almost 1,000 overdose deaths in Michigan from 2023 to 2024. According to Cara Poland, chair of the Michigan Opioid Advisory Commission, “When someone uses naloxone, they may be reachable for treatment. You don’t have a chance for recovery when someone overdoses and dies.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://apnews.com/article/michigan-opioid-settlement-funds-communities-985fd0d7e0822cbce018a16862dfef71