As millions of dollars flow into the state of Kansas from opioid settlement funds, local and statewide groups are vying for that money to address the growing opioid crisis in their communities.
The money is part of national legal settlements against prescription opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies. The state of Kansas expects to receive more than $340 million over the next 18 years.
In the Kansas Fights Addiction Act, which created a board to decide where the money goes, the use of the funds are outlined for prevention, reduction, treatment and mitigation of the effects of substance misuse and addiction.
This year, the KFA board — through the Kansas Attorney General’s office — allocated $10 million for prevention and treatment programs.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars went to state and local law enforcement agencies despite increasing calls nationally against law enforcement receiving those funds.
“Law enforcement by the nature of what they do, got to always be at the forefront,” KFA Board Chair Pat George said.
“So we’d rather work with them and try to … like we will with everyone involved here, steer them in a direction that’s scientifically proven to be more helpful to curbing the tide.”
A recent letter from the Open Society Policy Center outlines several ways settlement funds should be spent. It also advises where money should not be spent — including law enforcement efforts that advocates say haven’t worked for decades.
“More policing is not the answer to the overdose crisis,” the letter reads. “Law enforcement may undermine public health programs, for example by confiscating sterile drug use equipment and naloxone, thereby putting people at greater risk of infectious diseases and overdose.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation received $110,000 in settlement money to expand its joint fentanyl impact team. The KBI is overseen by the attorney general’s office, led by Kris Kobach.
The team, which includes the Kansas Highway Patrol, targets people in the illicit drug market.
The Highway Patrol received about $186,000 to buy fingerprint readers and TruNarc Devices, which law enforcement says helps identify substances during investigations. The devices cost almost $25,000 a piece.
The two agencies are among several Kansas law enforcement organizations that received settlement funds meant to abate the ongoing opioid crisis.
“I would say the law enforcement piece was probably one of the biggest conversations the board had about whether or not and how to award funds properly,” Kansas Assistant Attorney General Chris Teters said.
“One of the things the statute requires is that we consider science and data driven approaches to make certain that there’s actually evidence-backed approaches to how these funds are being distributed because we can’t just continue to do the same things that we’ve done and hope for different results.”
