FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — As cash from a multimillion dollar opioid settlement starts flowing into South Carolina, counties are planning how spend it.
The money is part of a nationwide agreement worth $26 billion between Johnson and Johnson and three pharmaceutical distributors.
It is to be used exclusively for remediating the impacts of opioid epidemic.
Fairfield County EMS Director Daniel Sloan knows by heart how many overdoses there have been this year.
"In 2022 we responded to 165," said Sloan.
He said the year before there were 143. Of those, five people died. Losses he said are felt deeply in the tight knit community.
"It touches everybody. Every family can be susceptible to it," said Sloan.
Now, the county is receiving money from national settlements with opioid manufactures to address the crisis.
"About $62,000. And that $62,000 will hopefully be about that amount each year for the next five years," said Fairfield Behavioral Health Services Executive Director Vernon Kennedy.
Kennedy explained the center alongside the county Opioid Response Team will use the money to fund more treatment programs, drug take back events, drug drop boxes, and a part time prevention assistant.
"Of course we’ll continue with our media market ads, through billboards, direct mailings, people’s homes and business and things of that nature," said Kennedy.
The money will also help continue the South Carolina Community Outreach Paramedic Education (COPE) program, which allows paramedics to visit a survivor at their residence following a Narcan administration or overdose event, usually within 72 hours.
Sloan has seen the success of this program firsthand.
"We've had 42 people this year where they have interacted with peer support from behavior health and actually sought treatment," said Sloan.
The settlement is expected to bring more than $300 million to the state over the next 18 years.
"Without these funds that we’re having now, we wouldn’t be able to continue that work on the level we’re trying to do now," said Kennedy.
Kennedy hopes all of these goals will be accomplished by the end of 2023.
- The Team will distribute 3000 Opioid/Stimulant use and MAT literature to healthcare providers, first responders of the Fairfield Opioid Response Team, employers, etc.
- The Team will conduct 75 COPE home visits with opioid overdose survivors.
- the Team will conduct 5 RX drug take back events targeting identified hot spot areas, businesses, and schools.
- The Team and COPE will document 30 referrals/warm hand-offs to FBHS for treatment of opioid or stimulant use
- Distribute 75 safe disposal and/or lock boxes to residents in Fairfield County
- the Team will coordinate one community social event that promote drug-free, healthy families and social bonding among community members reaching 100 people. Kicking Opioids out of Fairfield