ISAM Supports Statewide Adoption of Guiding Principles for Opioid Settlement Funds
On January 7th, the Illinois Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) sent letters to Governor J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul urging them to immediately adopt the “Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation.” Developed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and supported by ASAM, the Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation set forth five overarching principles to guide the use of opioid settlement funds with a focus towards abatement, public accountability, and racial equity.
In the letter, ISAM touted the utility of the Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation to provide state leaders with a clear framework for directing resources to impacted communities. As a first step, ISAM urged Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul to facilitate the creation of a dedicated fund to secure all opioid settlement money and separate it from the state’s general fund. Additionally, in line with the Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation, ISAM stressed the importance of investing settlement funds to support the expansion of evidence-based programs proven effective in meeting the needs of individuals with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder. Finally, ISAM called on state officials to prioritize racial equity in the distribution of resources acquired from the opioid settlement.