Maryland to host town halls to discuss opioid settlement fund

Nicole Pilsbury, Baltimore Sun on Jul 29, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

BALTIMORE — Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response will hold five virtual town halls in early August to gather public input on how to spend prescription opioid settlement funds.

The state expects nearly $690 million over 15 years from nine settlements with manufacturers, distributors and retail pharmacies, and could receive another $90 million if a Purdue Pharma deal is finalized, the office said.

Emily Keller, Maryland’s special secretary of overdose response, said the state wants to tailor the spending to local needs.

“Every community has its own unique challenges, and we have to ensure that we consider those needs as we distribute settlement funds to help address the harms of the opioid and overdose crisis,” Keller said.

About 70% of the money will go to counties, cities and towns that joined the state’s settlements. Maryland said it had received nearly $246 million as of fiscal 2025, with $170 million already distributed to local governments.

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said the funds offer a narrow opportunity to make a lasting impact.

“These settlement dollars are a limited window to build something that outlasts the crisis that created it,” Miller said. “That’s why we’re asking Marylanders directly: these town halls are how we make sure these investments serve the people who need it most.”

The town halls are open to the public; registration is required only for people who want to speak.

•Central Maryland: Aug. 4, 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

•Capital Region: Aug. 5, 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

•Southern Maryland: Aug. 5, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

•Western Maryland: Aug. 6, 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

•Eastern Shore: Aug. 6, 7 p.m–8 p.m.

Baltimore’s Opioid Restitution Fund

Baltimore has its own opioid restitution fund after suing pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in 2018. The city’s settlements totaled $427.5 million as of September 2025, before legal fees, according to the fund website.

Baltimore has an average of more than two overdose deaths a day, according to the website. Though the city makes up 9% of the state’s population, it accounted for 44% of overdose deaths in the first seven months of 2024.

_____