Bernalillo County has announced additional settlement funds obtained from litigation against pharmaceutical distributors implicated in the damages caused by the marketing and misuse of synthetic opioids. The Office of the Attorney General is tasked with managing the payments collected from these defendants, and has outlined plans for semi-annual distribution of these funds.
The county received its first share of $17.9 million from the New Mexico Attorney General as part of an opioid settlement involving defendants such as Walgreens and CVS. By Dec. 31, 2023, a total sum of $22,574,451.41 will have been received by Bernalillo County. The funds have been allocated for a marketing campaign, public outreach initiatives, and the MDC Buprenorphine Program. To comply with commission-set spending requirements, according to a press release by Bernalillo County, plans are underway to engage an external entity for a planning process and conduct facilitated public meetings to gather input on how best to utilize the opioid settlement funds.
"These settlement funds are not recurring, so we want to be sure that we are taking a good hard look at how we are spending the funds and engaging the community in the conversation so that we have a positive impact where the opioid crisis has created the greatest problems," said Commission Chair Barbara Baca in a press release issued by Bernalillo County. "This funding must include creative ideas for prevention, intervention and treatment."
"We know that this won't entirely fix the crisis that our community is facing, but it will assist in our proactive measures to make a difference," stated County Manager Julie Morgas Baca in another press release by Bernalillo County.
According to information available on its webpage provided by Bernalillo County, The Department of Behavioral Health Services offers diverse direct care programs aimed at addressing alcoholism, drug dependence, and mental health conditions within the community. These evidence-based interventions aim to foster safety within the community. Programs including Observation & Assessment, Detoxification, Residential Supportive Aftercare, Addiction Treatment, Mariposa Residential, and Crisis Stabilization are operated at the CARE Campus.
