DHS Collecting Feedback on How to Save More Lives with Future Opioid Settlement Funds

DHS Collecting Feedback on How to Save More Lives with Future Opioid Settlement Funds

Survey to build on strategies to support prevention, treatment, and recovery

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces an online survey is available for anyone interested in submitting ideas for how the state should allocate its share of opioid settlement funds. Wisconsin expects to receive more than $874 million in total funding from 2022 through 2038 as a result of litigation against the pharmaceutical industry. Next year, the state anticipates receiving $11.6 million for lifesaving strategies to support prevention programming, reduce overdose deaths and spread of infectious disease, increase access to treatment, and invest in recovery services in communities across Wisconsin. The survey is available through September 30.

"Being able to hear from people who know best what their community needs to combat opioid use continues to be key to helping us identify priorities for this funding," said Michelle Haese, DHS Director of Substance Use Initiatives. "We will use the feedback from the survey to determine where we need to adapt our response efforts to ensure we can continue to save more lives from the dangers of opioid misuse."

Since 2023, DHS has invested over $86 million in opioid settlement funding for life-saving strategies. This includes increasing access to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, providing prevention education for students, meeting people where they are with medication assisted treatment for an opioid use disorder like through a mobile unit, training to providers, and supporting law enforcement needs. As a result of these investments, Wisconsin has made huge strides to address opioid use disorder in the state since a nationwide opioid epidemic was identified in the early 2000s.

"We want these funds to have as big an impact as possible in fighting the opioid epidemic," said Attorney General Kaul. "Feedback from the public can help those evaluating how these can be used most effectively."

While data for 2025 hasn't been finalized, there was a total of 818 opioid overdose deaths in 2024, compared to 1,422 in 2023. While no single strategy is responsible for the significant decreases Wisconsin has seen the past two years, the collective efforts of local partners working together on prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services provides strength in every community to help those who need hope and to heal from an opioid use disorder.

Anyone needing help finding services and supports for a substance use concern can connect with trained resource specialists at the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery by calling 211 or 833-944-4673, texting a ZIP code to 898211, or chatting at addictionhelpwi.org.

Learn more about programs and services available in Wisconsin for preventing, treating, and recovering from substance.