Common Allowable Uses of Opioid Settlement Funds
and SOR Grants for Prevention and Education

Examples of how schools, public health agencies, and community organizations are investing opioid response funding
in youth prevention, family education, workforce development, and overdose prevention training.

Across the United States, communities are investing opioid settlement funds and State Opioid Response (SOR) grants into programs that strengthen prevention, education, treatment, and recovery support. While treatment expansion is essential, many communities recognize that education and prevention must also play a central role.

Increasingly, partners are using these funds to bring prevention and education programs into schools, families, workplaces, healthcare and professional settings, and community organizations.

Why Education is a Strategic Investment

Education helps prevent substance use before it begins, reduce stigma surrounding addiction, improve early intervention, prepare more people to respond to overdose emergencies, and strengthen systems that support treatment and recovery.

Building Community Capacity Through Education

SOR grants and opioid settlement funds often prioritize activities that prevent substance use among youth, increase overdose prevention knowledge and expand access to life-saving tools like naloxone, reduce stigma surrounding addiction, improve understanding of SUD as a medical condition, and strengthen family and community support systems.

Why Youth Prevention Matters

Research consistently shows the importance of early prevention and education:
~ 90% of people with substance use disorder began using substances before age 18
~ The median age of first substance use is approximately 14 years old
~ Early prevention programs can significantly reduce long-term substance use risk

5 Ways Communities Are Using Opioid Settlement Funds and SOR Grants

Communities across the country are using opioid settlement funds and State Opioid Response (SOR) grants to expand prevention, education, workforce development, and overdose response efforts. While funding priorities vary by state, several strategies are emerging as effective ways to reach large audiences and strengthen community capacity.

  • Implementing Youth Substance Use Prevention Programs
    Many communities are investing settlement and SOR funds in school-based and youth group prevention education designed to help youth understand the science of addiction, the risks associated with substance use, and how early choices can affect brain development and long-term health.
  • Expanding Family Education and Support
    Families play a critical role in prevention and early intervention. Some communities are using opioid response funding to provide family-focused education programs that help families better understand substance use disorder and how to support their loved ones path to recovery.
  • Training Communities to Recognize and Respond to Overdose
    Another common use of opioid settlement funds and SOR grants is expanding overdose prevention and naloxone training. Community organizations, schools, employers, and local governments are implementing training programs that teach people how to: Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose. Respond safely and effectively. Administer naloxone (NARCAN®) and what to expect post-administration.
  • Educating Professionals Across Community Sectors.
    Substance use disorder affects nearly every sector of the community. As a result, some funding initiatives prioritize workforce development and professional education to help frontline professionals better understand addiction and respond appropriately. Training topics frequently include stigma reduction, trauma and ACEs, harm reduction strategies, and understanding substance use disorder as a treatable medical condition.
  • Building Sustainable Community Education Through Train-the-Trainer Programs
    One challenge with grant-funded programs is ensuring the impact lasts beyond the initial funding cycle. To address this, many communities are investing in train-the-trainer education models. This approach helps communities transform short-term funding into long-term prevention capacity.

Partners include NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Navy, healthcare, public health departments, law enforcement, workplaces, schools, non-profits.

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