Alison Knopf

In New York State, opioid settlement funds are being used for anti-stigma campaigns. Opioid treatment programs (OTPs), because they treat patients with methadone, are the most stigmatized among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs. Yet, OTPs have been left out of the state’s anti-stigma funding. In July 2025, Allegra Schorr, president of the Coalition of … [Read more...] about NY Opioid settlement funds are still waiting to be spent: OTPs want their share

By Rob Kent A few in the media have drawn attention to the ways in which state and local governments are spending opioid settlement funds. Many of those stories have expressed concerns and made comparisons to the ways in which the tobacco settlement funds were not used to address tobacco related issues. While I share those concerns, I am equally focused on the slow pace … [Read more...] about State spending of Opioid Settlement Funds – we should be concerned!

It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of Sy Demsky. He died peacefully on April 9 surrounded by family and friends. "Sy was the President of Stop Stigma Now, devoting his life to advocacy and education of medication treatment for opioid addiction," wrote his daughter, Jordana. "Sy built strong bonds with those he worked alongside and called friends." AT … [Read more...] about May his memory be a blessing: Sy Demsky

Last month the Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates (COMPA) of New York released its budget and policy agenda for 2025. There is a lot of news swirling around these days, so much that the opioid epidemic has fallen out of the news cycle. But it’s still here, and in fact, in New York, overdose death rates among Blacks have increased five-fold, and … [Read more...] about COMPA 2025 agenda focuses on Medicaid, NIMBY, and more