Alabama legislative leaders are commending the Oversight Commission on Alabama Opioid Settlement Funds for its role in achieving a 30% reduction in drug overdoses statewide over the past year.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) praised the work of the commission, and its chairman, State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), for the measurable progress reflected in the latest state report.
“These numbers demonstrate the results that can be achieved when the Alabama House and Senate target a problem and focus their joint efforts on resolving it,” Ledbetter and Gudger said in a joint statement.
“Most important are the lives that have been saved and the families that have been spared a devastating loss because of the work this commission has accomplished and the funding it has provided.”
Formed in 2023, the Oversight Commission on Alabama Opioid Settlement Funds has directed the state’s share of national opioid settlement funds into a coordinated statewide plan focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery.
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“To be able to say that drug overdoses are down 30% year-over-year is a tremendous blessing and speaks to the impactful work of this commission,” Reynolds said.
“Whether it be the 88,000-plus Naloxone kits distributed to first responders or the evidence-based programs the commission has funded, we are taking every possible step to protect communities and set struggling Alabamians on the road to recovery.”
Over three budget cycles, Alabama has appropriated $81 million to fund programs aimed at combating the opioid crisis.
Some of the funded programs and initiatives include:
• 88,000+ Naloxone kits distributed to first responders
• 209 prevention and recovery programs supported through the Alabama Department of Mental Health
• Expanded staffing and hours for Alabama’s 988 Crisis Lifeline, which has posted a 90% answer rate for three consecutive months
• An interagency agreement creating specialty courts with the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts
• A statewide opioid awareness campaign, *Opioids Take*, launched in 2024 and reaching nearly 1.9 million Alabamians
• 19 veteran pilot programs developed through the Veterans Mental Health Steering Committee
Officials emphasized that behind every statistic are lives saved and families spared the pain of losing a loved one to addiction.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
