How Mississippi is spending its opioid settlement funds

By Gulf States Newsroom staff

Published March 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST

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A person with lived experience of addiction writes down their thoughts on how opioid settlement funds should be spent in Mississippi during a listening session hosted by the Gulf States Newsroom at James Moore’s bike shop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on January 28, 2026.

On this week’s episode, we take a look at the state of opioid settlement funds in Mississippi, as state lawmakers debate how to spend them.

Public health reporter Drew Hawkins breaks down the data of the opioid crisis.

Nellie Beckett also joins us to talk about the importance of community engagement in this reporting project.

This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

A sign reads “Addiction is a Disease” in James Moore’s bike shop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on January 28, 2026. Moore, whose son died from a fentanyl overdose, was part of the advisory council that made recommendations for spending opioid settlement funding to the state legislature.

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