HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A line of community members passionate about fighting opioid addiction in Hopkinsville publicly pled to city council that they use the over half a million dollars of stagnant opioid settlement money to fund local programs.
The City of Hopkinsville has been steadily receiving settlement money since 2022, totaling close to $750,000. Nationwide opioid settlements to local governments is a result of opioid manufactures and distributors paying billions of dollars to resolve lawsuits related to their roles in exacerbating the opioid crisis, according to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.
The money is intended to be directed toward addiction treatment, prevention and recovery efforts. KOAAC says Kentucky is scheduled to receive well over $980 million dollars over the course of several years. It was specifically asked by these community members that that the city forms an advisory committee to find the best way to utilize and distribute the funds in Hopkinsville.
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Testimonials from community members to city council
Christina Cephus, an Alternative Sentencing Worker with the Public Defender’s Office was the first of nine people to speak during the March 17 Hopkinsville City Council meeting. She shared her experiences with placing individuals in substance abuse treatment and the need for increased funding.
“I cannot refer clients from jail or from the community to these facilities if they don’t have the funding that they need to be able to fight this crisis,” said Cephus. “I’m doing the job of close to four people in my position. I’m seeing thousands of people at the jail, five to six on a daily basis, and they are reporting to me that fentanyl is the new heroin.”
All nine individuals echoed messages of hope and recovery, while emphasizing the prevalence of overdoses and drug use in the community. Representatives with other local recovery facilities were also in attendance including Genesis and Redeemed and Restored. It was agreed that increased funding could allow for organizations to expand their resources and treatment timelines along with bringing on additional staff.
“90 percent of my residents have abused opiates. Grace and Mercy is a community funded program assisting with a community problem,” said Grace and Mercy Director Joanna Mack. This local nonprofit provides transitional housing for women seeking recovery.
One former Grace and Mercy resident, Stephanie, shared how her addiction began when she was just 12 years old. After trying over a dozen other rehab facilities, Mack gave her the resources to be sober for the first time in over 30 years.
“What I’m asking is that you please consider forming this committee to release the funds to help the people of this community,” said Timmy Hendricks with Hope City Church, who has been sober from opiate use for almost a decade. “I’m on the streets day in and day out in Christian County and I can tell you this, a lot of good work is being done. But there is great work that is needed.”
According to Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight, the committee of the whole is scheduled to launch discussion about using these funding during the upcoming March 19 meeting. No action was taken during the city council meeting.
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