Community meetings to discuss opioid settlement funding set for this week

Three community meetings are scheduled this week in Winston-Salem to discuss how to best use a $1.5 billion state settlement with opioid distributors and manufacturers. 

The terms of the agreement stipulate that the funds must be used towards programs and services that combat the opioid epidemic. But exactly how each county spends its share is up to local officials. 

NCGrowth and the UNC Center for the Business of Health are hosting the meetings to solicit feedback on the matter from the community. According to a press release, the organizations then plan to draft a “comprehensive policy playbook that outlines best practices and identifies existing gaps within the opioid care network” and share it with policy leaders. 

The first meeting will be held Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. at S.G. Atkins Enterprise Conference and Event Center. The second, targeting frontline workers and policy professionals, will take place Wednesday from 8-11 a.m. at Forsyth Technical Community College.  

The last one, designed to give employers a chance to discuss how the opioid crisis has impacted their employees, is scheduled for Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. at the Winston-Salem Foundation. 

Forsyth County will receive a total of about $20 million over 18 years as part of the settlement agreement. Over $1 million has already been distributed.