Substance Use Information

Background

The opioid epidemic has been a public health crisis since the late 1990s. For the last decade particularly, there has been a surge of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, that have led to a large increase in the opioid overdoses and fatalities; in 2023 alone, opioids claimed the lives of nearly 80,000 Americans. 

In response, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office brought litigation against opioid distributors, manufacturers, pharmacies, among other organizations. Through settlements with these entities, Massachusetts is receiving over 1 billion dollars through to 2038. 

Out of these funds, 60% goes to the state via the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, while the other 40% goes directly to municipalities that opted into the Massachusetts State Subdivision Agreement; to see which municipalities opted in and how much they are estimated to receive visit the Municipal Abatement Funds Look-up Tool

Municipalities that opt in are required to use the funds for approved abatement strategies; information can be found here. 

Westfield opted into the Massachusetts State Subdivision Agreement and is currently set to receive around 2.4 million dollars between 2023 and 2038.