A federal role is needed in the opioid litigation settlements

Some have questioned whether the federal government has any ability to play a role in the oversight of how state and local government spend the 50 billion in opioid settlement funds they have already begun to receive. It is my opinion that they have the legal authority to play a role and that they should, especially as we hear concerning reports on the use of those funds. Those reports include the use of the settlement funds for purposes other than addressing opioid addiction and that the funds may be used to replace or supplant current state and local government spending versus supporting increasing efforts to address the ever‐increasing rates of overdose and death.