In 2024, one of the biggest stories journalists across the country will be covering is the millions of dollars being distributed from settlements of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. These are dollars that city, county, state and/or tribal policymakers will be charged with spending to mitigate the harms of the overdose epidemic in communities big and small. But this story won’t come and go. Over the next 17 years, local journalists will be tasked with covering how the money is spent and holding their community leaders accountable for their choices. In this webinar, we’ll discuss how to understand potential conflicts of interest present on the task forces responsible for spending or recommending spending of opioid settlement money.

Regina LaBelle, JD is a Distinguished Scholar and Director of the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University Law Center. LaBelle is also the founding director and teaches in the Master of Science in Addiction Policy and Practice program at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. LaBelle served in the Biden Administration as Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, developing the Biden-Harris Administration’s initial drug policy priorities, which included a historic focus on harm reduction services.

This didactic session will teach you how to understand the potential conflicts of interest present on opioid task forces and how to hold public officials accountable by reporting on the potential negative impacts of those conflicts. Our conversation will help to inform and shape your reporting and help you walk away with stories you can take on today.