ALBANY, NY (WRGB)- Albany County is putting millions of dollars from opioid settlement funds toward addiction prevention and recovery efforts, as the county’s ban on kratom sales took effect this week.
County leaders are expected to announce new investments that will go to organizations working on addiction prevention, recovery and connecting people with critical services.
The announcement is set to highlight five local organizations supporting recovery and helping people impacted by substance use, along with an additional investment aimed at connecting people with services.
In June, Albany County announced it expects to receive $4.6 million over the next 12 years, in addition to the $8.4 million it has already received. The money is part of a settlement with pharmaceutical companies, including CVS and Walgreens, tied to the damage caused by highly addictive opioids.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy has said the settlement money cannot fully account for the harm caused.
“No matter what the dollar amount is that we have received through court settlements, it’s not enough. There’s no dollar amount you can put on someone’s life,” McCoy said.
McCoy also emphasized the importance of peer support in recovery.
“There’s nothing more important than having someone who’s walked through the stuff you went through in life. Knew the dark tunnels you went down, knew the bad times you went through and can understand it and say ‘Hey, this is how I got through it,” he said.
Earlier this year, the county announced its first round of grants totaling $460,000. About $200,000 went to the Healthy Capital District’s Certified Recovery Peer Advocate Program, and the remaining $260,000 went to the Addiction Care Center of Albany for school-based prevention services.
The announcement is set to be made at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. CBS6 will bring updates on air and online.
