Opioid settlement funds making positive impact on Wilmington, New Hanover County

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Almost a year after $5.3 million was distributed to a variety of programs in New Hanover County, the opioid settlement committee, made up of county and city leaders, met to look at the impact the funding has made in the community.

For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, several programs showed an increase in the number of people receiving help.

For example, Coastal Horizons’ medication-assisted treatment at New Hanover County’s detention center served more than 120 people in just 6 months.

That’s more than twice the number of people who received help the year before.

City councilman Luke Waddell said another positive outcome is the drop in overdose deaths.

“For the first time in years, we’ve actually seen a decrease, a substantial decrease in opioid overdose deaths and non-fatal opioid overdoses in New Hanover County, again for the first time in years,” Waddell said.

In 2024, the number of non-fatal overdoses decreased by more than 150 while deaths went down by almost 20.

The Healing Place executive director Brian Mingia said the funding directly helps hundreds of people and the broader Wilmington community.

“It helps from an economic standpoint with this community,” It helps on an interpersonal level with being able to talk to your family again. It, the funds that are being provided to the organization are going directly to individuals, via this program.”

Looking ahead, the city and county task force approved around $4 million to be distributed to 15 different programs for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

In total, more than $36 million will be given to the county and city as part of the settlement, spread out through fiscal year 2039.