Gov. Phil Murphy on Sept. 17 announced an investment of $130.7 million in opioid settlement funds to expand harm reduction services and support community-based initiatives for families impacted by substance use.
The funding will support $118.7 million over five and a half years for the continuation and expansion of harm reduction centers, and $12 million over three years in direct grants to family and community support organizations.
Through April 2025, there were 306 suspected drug deaths reported in New Jersey, according to betterliferecovery.com. There were 2,778 overdose deaths statewide in 2023.
“This funding strengthens our ability to meet New Jerseyans where they are, at every stage of their recovery journey,” said Murphy. “We have pursued a whole-of-government approach to reducing the devastating impacts of the opioid crisis, with a focus on empowering community-based resources to save lives, support sustained recovery, and uplift those struggling with substance addictions.”
“This funding sustains investments in evidence-based harm reduction and recognizes the vital role families play not only in healing but in prevention and recovery,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, who chairs the New Jersey Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council. “These community-rooted efforts are the backbone of long-term recovery and the heart of our response to this epidemic.”
The advisory council is tasked with making recommendations for the effective use of the state’s share of nationwide settlement agreements with several opioid manufacturers and distributors for their contributions to the ongoing opioid epidemic. The advisory council in June issued its five-year strategic plan after a 15-month planning and stakeholder engagement process. It includes four key investment areas: housing, harm reduction, treatment, and coordinated wraparound services.
Harm reduction centers are community-based programs that offer a safe, trauma-informed space for people who use drugs to access naloxone, sterile syringes, and other safer-use supplies. They also facilitate safe disposal of used syringes and provide access or referral to services such as medications for opioid use disorder, health care, and help with basic needs.
Since reforms were enacted in mid-2023 to streamline the process for becoming an authorized center, the number of designated sites has increased to 55 from seven.
In addition, $12 million will be provided over three years to community-based nonprofits and businesses that work with families and loved ones affected by substance use disorder, including those grieving a loss or navigating recovery.
This initiative will fund a range of community-driven activities such as bereavement groups, prevention programs, and harm reduction support services, with capacity-building grants ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.
New Jersey, along with eligible counties and municipalities, will receive more than $1 billion in settlement funds over the next two decades. The newly allocated funding builds on more than $130 million in opioid settlement spending announced last year and earlier this month.
