Receiving an approximate total of $931,838.04 in settlement money as a result of the state’s multi-billion-dollar resolution with some of the nation’s largest drug distributors, Dartmouth is still seeking the right course to effectively spend the money and combat the opioid crisis. 

The lawsuit was first announced in July 2021 against Cardinal, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids. 

However, there are strict guidelines for how that money can be spent and the money will be distributed between 2022 and 2038 based on the resolutions and will vary from year to year, according to Dartmouth Advocates for Addiction, Recovery and Treatment Committee member Deloris Joseph.

The committee has been charged with ensuring the settlement funds are spent following the strategies set forth in the Massachusetts State-Subdivision agreement, which aims to provide and enhance resources for addiction prevention, reduction, treatment and recovery, Joseph said.

Dartmouth saw an increase in overdose deaths from six in 2021 to 11 in 2022, according to data provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The department also reports a steady increase in overdose deaths for Bristol County, with there being just under 300 deaths in the last three years, nearly triple the count in 2012.

However, overdoses in the area appear to be down recently. According to Dartmouth Police, the town has had one reported overdose in the last three months.

At its Tuesday, May 21 meeting, the committee heard from Massachusetts Department of Public Health representative Andrew Robinson, who provided guidance on how to spend the settlement funds in order to have the most impact.

Robinson said, “There are communities all over the state who are struggling to think about how to organize themselves and make decisions about how to use these opioid abatement dollars.”

He said collecting more Dartmouth data about the opioid crisis will help the committee make those decisions in an informed way, such as when narrowing down the list of issues Dartmouth wants to address.

Robinson said oftentimes, people will pinpoint problems such as housing and poverty as contributing factors, but those are not issues that can be solved with just under a million dollars.

He added the town should be looking for the “convergence of opportunity,” with the aim of getting the right issue addressed in a way the town can afford.

Robinson suggested the town pick an issue and envision where they’d like it to be a year or two years from now first and then decide how to get there. If in a year, the reality does not align with the vision, Dartmouth can make adjustments to its plan.

While developing a plan to address opioid-related issues in town, Robinson emphasized the importance of remaining transparent and encouraged the involvement of the community whenever possible.

One issue the committee wants to address is the lack of a single person who can handle addiction-related issues in Dartmouth.

Committee member Heidi Brooks said a consultant or someone in a full- or part-time position would be able to attend meetings, field phone calls for people in need of services, seek out additional funding and assist with health education at the schools and for town officials.

Right now the committee has difficulties having the necessary amount of voting members at meetings. An opioid crisis point person could help alleviate this problem, committee members said.

Joseph said, “If we keep it the way it is, I’m not sure how we are going to move forward with business, if we are supposed to be following open meeting law and Robert’s Rules of Order, with having a quorum and having a majority.”

The committee will await feedback from the town administrator before making a decision and will continue to look into the possibility of hiring someone.