Last year, more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses. Advocates and family members marked the tragic toll with cardboard grave markers on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 23.Last year, more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses. Advocates and family members marked the tragic toll with cardboard grave markers on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 23.Opioid settlement cash is not inherently political.
However, Beshear filed nine opioid lawsuits during his tenure as attorney general, several of which led to the current payouts. At a, Beshear defended his role:"That's where these dollars are coming from — cases that I filed, and I personally argued many of them in court.
But for some advocates and people personally affected by the opioid epidemic, this injection of politics raises concerns about how settlement dollars are being spent,Average people"don't really care about the bragging rights as much as they care about the ability to use that funding to improve and save lives," says"What I see in my state is a lot of press conferences and news pieces," says Parrish-Wright, a Democrat who is active in local politics.
Beshear's office declined an interview request but referred KFF Health News to his previous public statements, in which he criticized the potential investment in ibogaine. He has suggested Cameron — whose campaign has emphasized support for police — is not putting his money where his mouth is.