North Carolina residents have a new tool to track how local governments are spending their share of the the approximately $1.2 billion in opioid settlement funds.
“This new webpage is another step forward in making sure North Carolinians know how their counties and municipalities are investing these funds in their communities to save lives,” Stein said in a news release.
The newly launched dashboard on CORE-NC shows preliminary data on what strategies counties and municipalities plan to fund with their share of the settlement. People will be able to view each local government’s planned strategies as they determine them. The dashboard currently includes data submitted to CORE-NC before July 1, 2023, and will be updated periodically. In addition, CORE-NC will serve as an information hub for reports on the use and impact of opioid settlement funds for the duration of the 18-year settlement.
Legal settlements between states and companies like Johnson & Johnson and CVS are bringing billions of dollars to hard-hit communities across the nation. North Carolina’s 20 westernmost counties will receive almost $160 million of the funds.
This summer a collaboration of five public radio stations across the state asked every county government how they intend to use the funds. At the time, of the 20 westernmost counties, only three confirmed they have allocated funds so far: Buncombe, McDowell and Henderson.
Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC) was created in partnership with the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
