COURT HOUSE – New Jersey expects to receive $1.1 billion over an 18-year span to be used for opioid abatement programs. The funding is a result of settlement agreements with opioid manufactures, distributors and retailers as part of litigation for opioid deaths suffered during the overdose crisis, which the Rand Corp. estimates has taken more than 500,000 lives since 1999.

Cape May County government entities have already received $810,911 in opioid abatement funding as of June 30. All 21 counties and 262 state municipalities are receiving funding as part of the settlements.

In Cape May, $665,618 has been allocated to the county government. Governmental subdivisions within the county were eligible to receive funding if they had populations in excess of 10,000 or filed related lawsuits. County subdivisions with funding are Lower Township ($24,995), Middle Township ($27,764), Ocean City ($85,821) and Upper Township ($7,313).

In September, the New Jersey Department of Human Services released its first annual report on the receipt and use of settlement funding. For most of the counties and towns in the state, the planning is just beginning, and funds have not yet been allocated to specific programs.

In Cape May County three programs, one in Lower Township and two in Ocean City, have been initiated. The county and both Middle and Upper townships report that they plan to solicit public input on the priorities for use of the funds, but that the planning process has not yet been concluded.

Lower Township is in the process of establishing a Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition through Cape Assist. The effort is a prevention and education program aimed at the township’s youth. No details were provided in the annual report since the township states that the effort is still in its planning stages.

Ocean City has allocated some of its funding to two programs; both are prevention and education programs.

In one Ocean City effort, $9,505 has been allocated to a Law Enforcement Against Drugs program aimed at deterring fifth graders from drug and alcohol abuse. The municipality believes the program benefits from its ties to an established national program with proven results. The program creates a partnership with schools by “training police officers and teachers in a L.E.A.D.-authorized curriculum.”

Ocean City also allocated $5,000 to its Juneteenth 2023 program, with an aim to educate attendees at events, working through its funding recipient, Count on Comedy. This was a one-day event.

County officials are preparing to engage in a public outreach effort in 2024.

Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.