KENTWOOD, Mich. — As part of a Purdue Pharma settlement, states across the nation, including Michigan, are receiving nearly $7 billion to tackle Opioid addiction.
In Kentwood, city officials are contemplating how to effectively allocate shares of previous settlement funds, adding up to the tune of $115,000 to address the community's addiction challenges.
The 62-B District Court aims to enhance its in-house program supporting individuals facing drug-related charges in overcoming opioid addiction.
David Johnson, a former opioid addict, emphasizes the enormity of the struggle, noting, “This addiction has such a control over them that they cannot get clean. And so just expecting an opiate addict to just stop is an impossible task.”
Johnson, who has personal experience with addiction, recalls the difficulties of trying to quit, stating, “I was hooked on this, this crippling opioid addiction where I get so sick when I try to quit, and I tried to quit several times when I get sick and I fall apart.”
He credits organizations like Guiding Light for helping him reclaim his life, and believes
Dave believes that, “If they could get the help they need, they could get their lives back. And when one addict is going through it, that has a ripple effect, that affects the families, it affects society in general.”
Judge AmandaSterkenburg of the 62-B District Court has observed many struggling addicts who end up in her court due to non-violent offenses, often committed because they lack access to necessary treatment options that insurance or Medicare would cover.
The proposed in-house probation program would address these barriers by funding counseling, medical treatment, housing, and transportation services for addicts seeking recovery.
Judge Sterkenburg notes these resources could shift focus to help people coming through the court and probation systems to pass drug tests, allowing the justice system to concentrate on more serious criminal activities.
“If helped to overcome their addiction and become a productive member of society, can have a ripple effect within our community,“ Sterkenburg said. "The opioid crisis won't go away on its own. It needs individuals who are dedicated to the cause, who are willing to really invest in harm reduction and in treatment, so that prevention is a community effort.”
David agrees with that sentiment.
“All these people are good people that are just doing terrible things because they're under the spell of this addiction,” Johnson adds. “It would free them up to focus on the real criminals, instead of the people that are just stuck in this addiction that probably don't have criminal behaviors.”
As discussions proceed, Kentwood officials have yet to finalize distribution plans for the opioid settlement funds.
Judge Sterkenburg and others in the community hope to utilize the money to bolster addiction treatment initiatives.
Kentwood Court requests using Opioid settlement funds for addiction recovery efforts
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