County seeks opioid abatement money
Mar. 27—A special counsel to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office spoke Monday during the Rogers County Board of Commissioners meeting in support of a collaborative city-county grant application that could bring in major funding for opioid abatement.
How much money the county will receive has yet to be determined, according to AG representative Terry Simonson. Rogers County is one of about 250 applicants this year. The state currently has $25 million to distribute and is expecting another $36 million shortly.
Simonson said distribution of funds could begin as early as July.
Funds are coming to the state via the 2022 National Opioid Settlements, which includes payouts from over 14 Big Pharma companies involved in the manufacture, distribution and sale of opioids.
The total settlement nationwide, according to Simonson, will be approximately $55 billion. Oklahoma's portion is an estimated $500 million to $700 million, to be paid out over an 18-year period.
Simonson told commissioners they are "ahead of the game" with setting up a diverse advisory committee representing all areas of the county to apply for funding.
"You guys are a good example. The advisory council — partnering, that is a good deal, subdivisions working together instead of competing. ... Coming together makes your application much stronger," he said.
The goal is about education, prevention, treatment and recovery, Simonson said.
"We think we are now in the fifth wave of of addiction drugs," he said.
He outlined how the opioid addiction chain does not stop with abuse of prescription drugs, but goes from the synthetic, to fentynal, then heroin and methamphetamines.
"What occurs is if one drug of choice is cut off, the addicted find another one. We keep moving, chasing it, [but] people, particularly the kids [are getting it]," he said.
The Claremore City Council approved a related partner MOU Monday, March 18. City Manager John Feary was at the BOCC meeting and spoke in support of the application.
"We have opportunity to come forward as a group and make a difference ... to do true interdiction, prevention and build something that is sustainable. I hope we never have to have an application like this ever again. I think we really have an opportunity to have an impact... and make a difference long term," Feary said.
Commissioners approved the required resolution, which finds "extraordinary need to combat the opioid crisis in Rogers County" and authorizes creation of the Rogers County Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee to oversee the application for funding and dissemination of funds.
A separate memorandum of understanding for the yet-to-be-named "community partners" sets the stage for moving the county's initial application package forward. The first deadline this Friday.
Commissioner Ron Burrows said the county has been working on the application since October.
"We have a rock-solid team of committee members in this fight to eradicate the opioid problem, but we know it is coming across the border as fast as it can. We have at least a method on how to treat and a number of years to sustain that treatment as it happens," Burrows said. "I'm happy we are in a position to represent the whole county, to touch all four corners, all communities dealing with opioid addiction issues."
The AG's office has outlined the intended use for the money as being "to create solutions for sustainable treatment and abatement programs that serve the entire population impacted by opioid addiction."
"I would say there isn't anyone in this room [who] hasn't been impacted by the opioid crisis. It impacts everyone from school age to adults, the whole gambit," Burrows said.
Simonson told the commissioners the Attorney General's Office began working nearly four years ago on a process for distributing funding received by the state to eligible political subdivisions, such as cities, counties, school districts and career techs.
"The state Legislature got involved and said only political subdivisions can apply. ... The irony is the people who provide the services cannot apply," Simonson said. "But you are bringing people together."
He said Oklahoma has 1,227 subdivisions, but only 250 responded to say they would apply. These include cities, counties and school districts.
According to Oklahoma State Department of Health Center for Statistics, between 2017-2021, nearly one in three (31%) people who died from drug overdoses in Rogers County had a history of mental health problems, and more than three out of four (76%) people who died had a history of substance use.
