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Input Sought from Lewis County Residents for Opioid
Settlement Fund Survey
Published: May 01, 2024 at
08:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from Lewis County Office of
Community Services
Input Wanted from Lewis County Residents for Opioid
Settlement Fund Survey
 LOWVILLE, NY – The Substance
Use Disorder and Mental Health Subcommittees of the Lewis County Community
Services Board is seeking community input on how
best to use funds distributed to the County from recent Opioid Settlements.
A survey is now
open for residents of Lewis County to make
recommendations for the funds and help the subcommittees better understand
how this ongoing public health crisis is impacting our community.
Lewis County
joined a class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies in 2018. The
suit alleged that opioid manufacturers caused the opioid crisis through
deceptive marketing practices, misrepresenting that
opioids had a low risk of addiction and touting benefits without
disclosing the medication’s risks. Lewis County will receive roughly
$900,000 in settlement funds from various drug makers and distributors over
the next 16 years.
The Local
Government Unit (LGU) or Community Services Department is expected to work
with stakeholders, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and
Support, the federal government, and the pharmaceutical companies to
determine how best to utilize opioid settlement funds to address local
needs. The LGU has tasked the Substance Use Disorder
and Mental Health Subcommittees with determining best
use of the funds and next steps. The Subcommittees include elected
officials, healthcare workers, substance use and mental health providers,
and individuals with lived experiences.
The results of
this survey will be used by the Subcommittees to determine priority areas
for a grant program that will focus on saving lives and reducing the impact
of opioids and opioid use disorder on the people of Lewis County. “The
survey is an important step to building community trust and quality
services. Understanding local needs will help providers develop programs
with them in mind,” said Mark Waterhouse, Assistant Director Community
Operations – Housing for Transitional Living Services of Northern New York,
Inc., and chair of the Mental Health Subcommittee.
Community
Services Deputy Director Anna Platz added, “Lewis County is committed to
working with our community partners to distribute the opioid settlement
funds in a meaningful way. We would like thank Lewis County residents in
advance for responding to the survey and providing us with their honest
feedback on this deeply personal matter.”
To access the survey, please click
the link above or scan the QR code. The survey will be open from May 1 –
May 31, 2024.
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