Kentuckians can now track how opioid abatement funds are being invested across the Commonwealth through a new online dashboard launched by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman. Developed in partnership with the University of Kentucky Rapid Actionable Data for Response (RADOR), the dashboard provides easy public access to state and local opioid settlement spending and was unveiled by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission during its July meeting.
"Across Kentucky, communities are investing in the three-legged stool of prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts to combat the drug crisis and to save lives," said Coleman. "Now, every Kentuckian can see how these resources are being invested to promote best practices, innovative ideas and - above all - hope."
In July 2025, the commission launched an online portal for local governments to report how settlement dollars are being used across Kentucky. Each community receiving funds must, under Kentucky law, report annually how much money they receive, what is spent and what is being done with the money. Reports must be submitted by Aug. 31, detailing spending during the previous fiscal year.
"This is the first time we can accurately show what resources are coming into Kentucky to battle the opioid epidemic and how they are being used," said Christopher Evans, director of Kentucky's Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. "This information will allow Kentuckians to maximize the opportunity we have before us to save lives and change the trajectory of substance misuse in the Commonwealth."
The dashboard takes reporting from local governments, as well as reporting from the state grant funding, and makes it accessible to the public. Data on the dashboard will be updated at regular intervals and new functionalities will develop over the next several months.
"The RADOR team, within the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, is dedicated to helping our state partners improve how they capture, understand and share data," said Lindsey Hammerslag, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health Department of Biostatistics. "Our partners within the commission have demonstrated a strong commitment to transparency, working with us every step of the way to ensure that the dashboard is accurate, easy-to-understand and useful."
The commission funded the following UK projects, starting July 1:
Prevention Grant Awards 2026-27
- Melinda Ickes, College of Education, "#IChampionHealth Live Like a Champion: Expanding Youth Substance-Use Prevention (Grades 4-8) Through Statewide Regional Train-the-Trainer Partnerships," $198,906
- Aaron Brown, College of Social Work, "Stronger Together: A Prevention Program for Families of People Who Use Drugs," $200,000
Research and Innovation Grant Awards 2026-27
- Chris Delcher, College of Pharmacy, "Estimating Opioid Use Disorder in Kentucky Counties," $514,194.08
- Hannah Knudsen, College of Medicine, "Strategies for Harnessing Implementation and Facilitating Training on Contingency Management (SHIFT-CM) for Treating Opioid Use Disorder and Stimulant Use Disorder," $701,661.90
- Gopalkumar Rakesh, College of Medicine, "Helping Kentuckians Overcome Opioid Addiction and Depression with Brain Stimulation," $733,006.58
Since 2023, the commission has awarded 300 grants totaling $86.5 million to organizations throughout Kentucky focused on prevention, treatment and recovery work, as well as innovation. Another $52.7 million was dedicated to other investments, including SB90 diversion programs and the "Better Without It" youth prevention initiative.
Kentucky will receive nearly $1 billion in settlement funds from lawsuits against drug makers and distributors that fueled the state's severe opioid crisis. The commission ensures the half of the funds coming through the attorney general's office are used to fight addiction, save lives and restore communities.
