Kentucky opioid settlement spending: $7 million on harm reduction & recovery. $1.7 million on gas, repairs for police cars & pay increases for sheriff's deputies. Only 10% of funds have been spent. Localities should feel the urgency to infuse this money into communities: kypolicy.org/kentucky-opi...

Kentucky Local Governments Have Spent Only 10% of Opioid Settlement Dollars Despite Continued Need - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy

Opioid settlement funds are intended to address active needs related to the overdose crisis, but many communities aren't spending them.

kypolicy.org

Punishing people who use illegal drugs doesn’t work—and only worsens health, racial, and economic inequities. Harm reduction does work. Open Society’s Judy Chang breaks down why.

The National Roadmap for Opioid Settlement Funds, signed by more than 200 organizations across the country, details how opioid settlement funds should be spent -- on harm reduction, housing & supportive services, and repairing racial and economic harms: populardemocracyinaction.org/publication/...

A National Roadmap for Spending Opioid Settlement Funds in 2026: Supporting Communities & Ending the Overdose Crisis - Popular Democracy in Action

populardemocracyinaction.org

New research quantifies an issue @open-society.bsky.social & our partners have been highlighting - opioid settlement funds going to policing & prisons rather than health solutions. This study finds Appalchian states spending up to 41% on law enforcement: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Law enforcement capture of opioid settlement funding across Appalachia

National opioid settlements were intended to fund public health remediation, yet early evidence suggests significant institutional capture. In this st…

sciencedirect.com

It’s time for new approach in Ireland. Great points from Social Democrat Leader Holly Cairns• Someone dies from drug overdose in Ireland almost every day• Drug deaths there are almost 3 times EU average • 70% of ppl entering prison are impacted by substance use: www.thejournal.ie/senators-and...

Remove criminal penalties for drug possession, TDs and senators from across spectrum say

The mooted reforms follow calls to move away from punishment and towards a health-led, rights-based approach to drug use.

thejournal.ie

“‘This is not a marginal adjustment. It is a recognition that criminalising people for their own drug use has not reduced harm, and that a different approach is both possible and overdue,’ said committee chair Gary Gannon of the Social Democrats.” www.rte.ie/news/politic...

Decriminalise personal-use drug possession, cttee says

An Oireachtas committee has recommended the decriminalisation of possession of all drugs for personal use.

rte.ie

The Irish parliamentary group recommends wider use of overdose prevention centers, including mobile sites, making naloxone over the counter, and ending short prison sentences drug-related offences replacing them with community sanctions or restorative justice measures: www.rte.ie/news/politic...

Decriminalise personal-use drug possession, cttee says

An Oireachtas committee has recommended the decriminalisation of possession of all drugs for personal use.

rte.ie

Great to learn of @euda.europa.eu new mandate, to see old friends and to make new ones. Europe has always been a fantastic region for evidence-based drug policy. I look forward to its continued leadership -- now more than ever we need a North Star! www.linkedin.com/posts/eudrug...

#drugpolicy #internationalcooperation | European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA)

Drug policy is most effective when health, social support and legislation work together towards evidence-based, health- and rights-centred objectives.     That was the focus of our exchange this week ...

linkedin.com

The Irish Parliamentary Drug Policy group just published a roadmap for drug policy reform. Some fantastic recommendations related to decrim, support to harm reduction and evidence-based treatment. It is impressive how board and diverse the group is. Go Ireland! www.irishtimes.com/politics/oir...

Possession of all drugs for personal use should be decriminalised, committee recommends

Major overhaul of Republic’s approach to drug use could be on the way

irishtimes.com

We’re doubling down on our work in the United States with a $300 million investment to expand rights, foster economic dignity, and rebuild our democracy.

“Eliminating take-home doses could make it impossible for someone to continue care." Rep. Houchin's bill would undo modest but hard-fought gains in methadone access as the overdose crisis continues, reports @helenredmond.bsky.social:

Federal Bill Would Roll Back Modest Progress on Methadone Access - Filter

When it comes to methadone treatment for opioid use disorder, Representative Erin Houchin, a Trump–supporting Republican from Indiana, wants to ...

filtermag.org

Are you a journalist or are talking to journalists about opioid settlements? Here is a great resource for you put together by Reporting on Addiction: learn.reportingonaddiction.org/opioid-settl...

Opioid Settlement Journalist Quick Guide Bundle

These quick guides outline how opioid settlement funds can be spent, with background on each approach. We explain how these methods align with opioid settlement frameworks and provide key questions jo...

learn.reportingonaddiction.org

A Fantastic piece by @taylorjung.bsky.social on an excellent harm reduction effort in Paterson, NJ where a world of assistance is delivered in one small building: www.njspotlightnews.org/special-repo...

“When someone needs $500 to get out of a tent & get somewhere safe, and the county’s sitting on $500,000 & can’t figure out how to spend it, it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’” www.pressherald.com/2026/04/02/s...

Opioid settlements funding, a state managed effort, is to support 16 projects in the City of Bangor in Maine. Taking into account recent federal cuts, it's imperative that this funding goes to evidence-based interventions: www.bangordailynews.com/2026/03/09/b...

Bangor awards $640K in opioid funds to 16 projects

Bangor, alongside many other local governments in Maine, has been slow to allocate the settlement funds that it began receiving in 2022.

bangordailynews.com

Drug use on the battlefield has long been a feature of warfare across the globe and across time: www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/...

Drug use on Ukraine’s front lines ‘rampant among Russian troops’

As the war drags into another year, a lesser-known crisis afflicts troops on both sides.

aljazeera.com

Our report “The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2025” is out and the findings are catastrophic. Drug-related executions nearly doubled in 2025.

At #HRC61, a side event explored the development dimensions of drug policy and the importance of rights-based approaches. Comm'r Ruth Dreifuss delivered closing remarks. 📄 tinyurl.com/mwxj6smy #DrugPolicy #HumanRights

"People are already using AI for harm reduction ... What’s left is the question of how harm can be minimized—and potential benefits maximized—when chatbots step into a role that has always depended on human judgment and human compassion." Brooke Nolan reports:

Harm Reduction Without Humans? The Risks and Potential of AI - Filter

In November 2023, California teenager Sam Nelson put a question to ChatGPT. “How many grams of kratom gets you a ...

filtermag.org

I grew up in this region of Poland, remember well the first person who died at this crossing -- he was my son's age -- and am continuously heartbroken to watch this crisis evolve with no sane solution in sight.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 5mo ago

In 2021, Belarus began enabling migrants from high-conflict countries to cross into Europe through the Belarus-Poland border. But in March, Poland suspended the right to asylum for most people. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

“Trauma‑informed services, and trauma‑aware society, are essential for Ukraine’s future .. Anniversaries are important moments to remember, but we must not forget that impact of war does not simply end when the fighting stops, which I know we all hope will be soon” www.thejournal.ie/ukraine-war-...

'Culture of secrecy': How Ukraine is grappling with drug use on the frontlines

Despite drug use being found to be ‘pervasive’ in the Ukrainian military, the army’s approach to drug use is one of complete prohibition.

thejournal.ie

If in NYC for #CSW70, join us at @open-society.bsky.social for a side event “From Punishment to Protection: A Feminist Case for Drug Policy Reform” Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Studies show that medication makes recovery more likely and reduces the risk of overdose death. n.pr/49EKBxP

For those with addiction, going into and coming out of prison can be a minefield.

Many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Studies show that medication makes recovery more likely and reduces the risk of overdose death.

n.pr

Migrants being blamed for problems they did not cause isn’t new. But the headlines often miss that even in this darkness, acts of solidarity still happen. Gregory Maniatis explains our support of giving communities control when it comes to who comes and how they are welcomed: https://osf.to/3NfJAox

In Defense of Our Neighbors

As the current U.S. administration is transforming immigration policies, Open Society believes in giving communities control over who comes and how they are welcomed.

osf.to

230+ organizations from 40 states are calling on leaders to use $57B in opioid settlement funds the RIGHT way in 2026. New National Roadmap shows how to save lives—not fuel the drug war. #EndOverdose #HealthJustice 📄 New Roadmap: populardemocracyinaction.org/publication/...

A National Roadmap for Spending Opioid Settlement Funds in 2026: Supporting Communities & Ending the Overdose Crisis - Popular Democracy in Action

populardemocracyinaction.org

Administration so concerned about drugs that it resorts to military strikes in the intl waters sends letters to mental health & addiction providers announcing $2 billion cuts: thttps://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5677104/trump-administration-letter-terminating-addiction-mental-health-grants

Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants

The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.

npr.org

"We can’t bomb our way to fewer overdoses...As the government prioritizes punishment over treatment, violence over health, we need community care and mutual aid more than ever,” said former defense official James Saenz and DPA’s Executive Director Kassandra Frederique. www.salon.com/2025/12/12/w...

We can't bomb our way to fewer overdoses - Salon.com

Gutting addiction treatment while bombing boats proves America’s drug policy is broken

salon.com

The harm reduction funding crisis needs to be addressed as a human rights crisis. It is lives that are at stake when harm reduction services are paused or stopped.  🔴 Watch the recording of our webinar: https://youtu.be/ZsSEdYEuEoM

Over the past three months, the U.S. military has been firing on boats from South America, killing more than 80 people in a campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at drug traffickers. Now, top Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for accountability. Listen to "The Daily."

Did a U.S. Boat Strike Amount to a War Crime?

Top Republicans have joined Democrats in scrutinizing a military campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at drug traffickers.

nyti.ms

During years of Duterte's extrajudicial killings of people who were considered drug sellers and users, during a trip to the Philippines, Trump congratulated him on a successful approach to addressing his countries' drug problem. This US policy of extrajudicial killings should not come a surprise.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 8mo ago

Is the Trump Administrations misusing the law of war to engage in what amounts to extrajudicial killings with their recent strikes on Venezuelan boats?