The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has launched a new website to provide transparency on the inflow and allocation of settlement funds from the national opioid lawsuit. The website, live since last month, will track payments expected to exceed $100 million by 2038. This effort aims to address the opioid crisis by promoting public scrutiny and community involvement.

According to the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) release, in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi's Hawaiʻi Data Science Institute (HI-DSI), they created the Hawaiʻi Opioid Settlement Project (OSP) portal. The website offers interactive data dashboards, highlighting opioid-related overdoses, emergency department visits, naloxone distributions, and the allocation of settlement funds.

"Opioid addiction, substance use and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships and devastated communities," Dr. Kenneth Fink, DOH director, said in the same release. "We must dedicate available resources to healing the wounds caused by drug addiction. DOH is committed to ensuring that any funds allocated in settlements to the state through DOH will be stewarded responsibly, strategically and expeditiously."

Under the settlement terms, 85% of the funds will be managed by the state, and the remaining 15% will be directed by Hawaiʻi's counties. An Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee will guide the allocation of funds, focusing on addiction treatment, harm-reduction strategies, and prevention initiatives to reduce opioid misuse.

For more information, individuals can visit the Hawaiʻi Opioid Settlement Project and the Behavioral Health Dashboard websites.