Millions in opioid settlement funds sit untouched as overdose deaths rise

Nearly a year after Montana began receiving millions of dollars to invest in efforts to combat the opioid crisis, much of that money remains untouched.

Meanwhile, the state’s opioid overdose and death counts continue to rise.

The money is part of the approximately $50 billion that states and local governments will receive nationwide in opioid settlement funds over nearly two decades.

The payments come from more than a dozen companies that made, distributed, or sold prescription opioid painkillers that were sued for their role in fueling the overdose epidemic.