West Virginia's opioid settlement funds, the payments drug makers, distributors and pharmacies agreed to pay to resolve opioid lawsuits, are going mainly to statewide addiction programs. A smaller share goes directly to cities and counties, where much of the reported spending has paid for law enforcement, jails and emergency response. The state has secured more than $1 billion in settlements, including $68 million from Kroger in May 2023. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said that total was the largest per-capita recovery of any state, according to the Kroger settlement report.
Official resources:
- https://ago.wv.gov/article/74-billion-purdue-pharma-sackler-family-opioid-settlement-goes-effect — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- https://wvfirst.org/qualified-settlement-fund/ — Use this primary source to review the complete report.
Table of Contents
- How is the money divided?
- What has the statewide foundation funded?
- How are cities and counties spending their share?
- What should residents check next?
How is the money divided?
Settlement dollars pass through a court-run Qualified Settlement Fund. The fund splits the money three ways under the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding. The West Virginia First Foundation receives 72.5% for statewide grants. Cities and counties receive 24.5% to spend locally.
The Attorney General's office receives 3% for administration and enforcement, according to the Foundation's fund description. That structure matters for residents. Foundation awards support prevention, treatment and recovery across county lines. Local awards depend on decisions by county commissions and city councils.
What has the statewide foundation funded?
The Foundation focuses on prevention, treatment, recovery, diversion, youth services, workforce development and capacity-building. In its first 18 months, it awarded 171 projects statewide and reinvested over $40 million. Its December 2025 Momentum Initiative approved nearly $18 million for 76 high-impact projects.
Those projects include youth prevention, foster-care support, recovery housing, behavioral health, day report centers and reentry and workforce programs. The pattern is broad rather than concentrated in one service. A community group may receive prevention money while a nearby provider receives housing or treatment money. Residents can search the Foundation's awardees map to see funded projects near them.
How are cities and counties spending their share?
Local governments received $36.75 million in fiscal 2024-2025 but reported spending only $16.76 million through 393 expenditures. That spending touched more than 170 localities, according to West Virginia Watch reporting carried by Kanawha Valley Update. Of the reported local spending, about $4 million went to law enforcement, $3.79 million to jail bills and $3.56 million to emergency medical services. Only about $3 million went to treatment and recovery, according to the local spending analysis.
Jackson County illustrates the dispute. It used more than $500,000 for a first-responder training center and shooting range plus $35,000 for an overdose quick-response team. Supporters call those public-safety uses. Critics say they move money away from treatment, housing and recovery services.
What should residents check next?
A new payment stream is starting. West Virginia will receive over $50 million from the $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma and Sackler settlement effective May 1, 2026. It will arrive on an accelerated nine-year timeline because of the state's disproportionate harm and use the same distribution formula.
Local totals undercount activity. About 100 of 172 reporting localities reported spending nothing, and about 70 fewer localities reported than the prior year. A zero in the annual report may mean saved funds, delayed projects or a missing report. Residents can take these practical steps:.
- Find your city or county in the Foundation's annual local-spending report.
- Compare the amount received with the amount spent and the stated purpose.
- Ask your commission or council whether unspent funds are reserved for treatment or recovery.
- Check the awardees map for Foundation-funded services available now.