MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) – Alabama leaders have approved a $41 million plan to combat the opioid crisis, with the largest share—nearly $28 million—going to the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
The money comes from opioid settlement funds the state has received from lawsuits against drug makers and pharmacies. Alabama has secured over $720 million so far from these legal battles.
In 2015, Alabama had more opioid prescriptions than people, leading the nation at the time. To help reverse that trend, the state formed the Opioid Settlement Oversight Committee in 2023 to decide how to spend the settlement money.
How the Mental Health Department will use its $28 million:
$5 million for more civil commitment beds
$5 million to build a new opioid treatment center
$9 million in grants for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs
Funding will also support detox programs, the 988 mental health crisis line, and a public awareness campaign about opioid dangers
Attorney General Steve Marshall led the legal efforts and secured nearly $470 million from companies like Teva, Allergan, CVS, and Walgreens. More lawsuits are ongoing.
Other agencies getting opioid funds this year include:
Administrative Office of Courts – $3 million for mental health, drug, and veterans courts
Auburn University – $1 million for pharmacy education and K–12 drug prevention
UAB – $1 million for psychiatry residencies in Montgomery and Huntsville
USA Health – $1 million to train primary care doctors to spot opioid addiction
Department of Corrections – $900,000 for addiction counseling and medication-assisted treatment
Alabama Department of Public Health – $500,000 for rapid response to overdose outbreaks
Department of Veterans Affairs – $1.5 million to continue a pilot program for veterans
Department of Human Resources – $500,000 for youth opioid prevention
Office of Prosecution Services – $2.6 million to work with sheriffs on inmate treatment and prevention
Department of Forensic Sciences – $800,000 for fentanyl testing
Department of Senior Services – $279,071 for a caregiver support program
State officials say the funding will help expand treatment, boost prevention, and raise awareness across Alabama.
