Opioid Settlement Funds

In 2018, the Orange County Board of Commissioners authorized the county to participate in national litigation related to the opioid epidemic. Those efforts led to a historic $26 billion agreement that will help bring desperately needed relief to communities impacted by opioids.

Orange County Commissioner Sally Greene was a member of the 5-5-5 committee comprised of five county commissioners, five county managers and five county attorneys from across the state. This committee worked with the N.C. Department of Justice and the N.C. Association of County Commissioners to come up with a plan to disburse North Carolina's share of settlement funds.

The sides agreed on a plan that would disburse the funds as follows:

• 80 percent to local governments listed in the MOA to address the epidemic
• 15 percent to the state of North Carolina
• 5 percent for a county incentive fund

These funds will be used to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and other life-saving programs and services in communities throughout the state. North Carolina’s Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan lays out concrete strategies to advance prevention, reduce harm, and connect people to the care that they need. 

Orange County is expected to receive $6,799,780 through 2040, paid in annual installments, from the National Distributors/Janssen settlement. In addition, Orange County will also receive funds from the National Opioid Abatement Trust II (see chart below for funds received).

Funding received

Recommendations for funding

At it April 18, 2023, Business Meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved the Opioid Advisory Committee's first recommended allotment of funding for Opioid Settlement Funds. The first three items on the chart below are currently funded through grants that expire June 30, 2023. The BOCC approved funds to keep these programs active for the next two fiscal years.

In addition, the committee asked the BOCC to approve $14,500 to order additional narcan/naloxone and fentanyl testing strips for community vending machines for 2023-24.