South Dakota Opioid Funds: Spent Less Than Half, Crisis Persists

0:00It's April 27th. I'm Cory with the story, this is Canada News today, driven by AI. South Dakota counties and cities pulled in the first $9.6 million from national opioid settlements, but they've spent less than half through the end of 2025. Opioid deaths ticked up to 41 last year from 39 the year before, showing the crisis isn't fading. These funds stemmed from nearly $50 billion in nationwide deals with drug makers and distributors, without the code is cut just under, 99 million through 2038. 70% flows to the state via social services, while 30%, around 29 million splits among 53 counties and 13 towns. Local leaders in rural spots say, small, unpredictable payouts make planning tough. Think one county sitting on $18,000 since 20. 22. Unsure where to drop it without wasting cash. They worry about starting programs that fizzle out.

1:00Meanwhile, the state ramped up, dropping 7.82 million in grants for an Aloxone, drug monitoring, and recovery outfits. Some cities spend every dime on police social workers for overdose calls. Others bank it for bigger plays like awareness campaigns. Nationwide, locals drag their feet too, but experts push pooling with state networks or neighbors to stretch every dollar on real fixes, keeping the fight against opioids rolling strong.