Spartanburg County Requests $2M to Help Inmates Struggling with Opioid Addiction

Overview

Spartanburg County in South Carolina has requested approximately $2 million from the settlement made against the nation’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. If approved, this funding aims to help treat inmates at the county detention center who are grappling with opioid addiction. Spearheading the efforts, The County Council unanimously made the request with the aim of the county receiving the funds by October 1.

The Ripple Effect of the Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis has been a devastating reality for Spartanburg County, with a dramatic 440% increase in opioid deaths from 2015 to 2022. Indeed, the year 2022 saw 154 opioid deaths within the county. It is believed that everyone in the county feels the disheartening impact of the epidemic, directly or indirectly. As of now, about 650 inmates with opioid use disorder have been identified by the county, necessitating urgent action.

The Streaming Funds

The request for funds is linked to the lawsuit lodged by South Carolina’s state Attorney General Alan Wilson in 2019. Wilson had accused the nation’s largest drug shipment companies of fueling the ongoing opioid crisis. This lawsuit led to the state receiving over $300 million as part of a $26 billion national settlement with some of the country’s largest pharmaceutical and manufacturing firms. Thus, the state agencies, cities, and counties aim to distribute these funds to combat the widespread abuse of highly addictive drugs.

Addressing the Issue

With a part of such funds, Spartanburg County plans to launch a program at its detention center to treat addicted inmates. Expertise for the plan was provided by Dr. Melissa Fritsche, who specializes in treating addiction. She stated that helping them would be the most impactful use of the settlement money. Hiring a nurse practitioner for the detention center, procuring drugs to counteract opioids’ effects, and educating the public figure among the main expenditure areas of the funds.

A Long-term Plan

According to the settlement terms, over the next 12 to 15 years the county will receive recurring payments which are expected to reach a couple of million dollars or more each year. However, there is a stipulation that by December 31, 2025, the county has to spend at least $3.3 million. If not, they risk losing the money to other parties in the state.

Breaking the Cycle

In explaining the significance of the program, council members highlighted a vicious cycle of people falling into poverty, getting addicted and then resorting to crime to sustain their addiction. Emphasizing the urgency of this initiative, they stressed that overcoming opioid addiction cannot happen with sheer willpower alone.

Dr. Fritsche closed by stating her hope for the future that treatment for addiction will no longer be necessary, as she shared her goal to “work herself out of a job.” “There is nothing that I would like more than five years from now to not be treating addiction,” she said.