Wait, what happened?
On June 30th, 2025, New Jersey legislators raided $45 million from the state opioid settlement fund in the middle of the night and handed it to four hospitals with billion-dollar budgets. No hearing. No debate. A blatant violation of the intention of this money.
This was not an accident. The state was not confused. It's doing what it has done for the full 26 years of this opioid overdose crisis and drug crises before that. It is ignoring the needs of impacted communities.
Our Response
We built 45milliondollarwatch.org with the Sea Change Recovery Community Organization and Harm Reduction Center to serve as a constant reminder that this money is still gone, that we have not forgotten this betrayal, and that we demand action. Return the money and protect this from ever happening again.
This fight isn't just about NJ. Every state opioid settlement dollar is susceptible to shenanigans like this. We appreciate those working to protect and spend this money well, but we will not stay silent when people and governments violate the intention of this money.
Meanwhile, the real work continues where it always has: in the vans handing out naloxone, syringes, and wound care kits; in the drop-in centers; and in the recovery housing helping people transition out of the carceral system. The things opioid settlement money is supposed to support. The things that help our communities heal. That helps them become safer and healthier.
Two things you can do right now:
1 Sign on at 45MillionDollarWatch.org. Add your name or your organization to the growing list of watchdogs demanding accountability:
2 Share the site with your network by forwarding this email, website, or sharing the link: 45milliondollarwatch.org.
Bonus Actions!
Thanks to Sea Change and every advocate who refused to let this get buried.
Why Trust Us?
Jonathan Stoltman, PhD
Jonathan has worked as a researcher and advocate focusing on opioid addiction treatment and recovery since 2013. He completed his PhD in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University in 2019. Jonathan’s academic work has appeared in leading journals, conferences, and media outlets. He has been working on opioid settlement-related topics since 2020.
Why You Can Trust OPI
The Opioid Policy Institute exists to help communities improve their response to opioid-related death and disease. We provide evidence-based research and analysis that translates complex legal guidance and public health research into practical, usable insights. Our focus is on transparency, accountability, and community healing by increasing access to evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports.
OPI’s analysis reflects a collaborative, team-based approach. We blend real-world and academic experience to help ensure our work is methodologically sound, grounded in evidence, and attentive to real-world implementation challenges. We focus on asking the right questions, surfacing tradeoffs, and helping communities build robust responses to addiction.
Opioid Policy Institute by Jonathan JK Stoltman, PhD is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
