Sock hops and concerts. Here's how some places spent opioid settlement cash.

Officials in Irvington, New Jersey, had an idea. To raise awareness about the dangers of opioid use and addiction, the township could host concerts with popular R&B artists like Q Parker and Musiq Soulchild. It spent more than $600,000 in 2023 and 2024 to pay for the shows, even footing the bill for VIP trailers for the performers. It bought cotton candy and popcorn machines.

In many cases, this type of community event would be unremarkable. But Irvington's concerts stood out for their funding source: settlement money from companies accused of fueling the opioid overdose crisis.

As part of national settlements, more than a dozen companies that sold prescription painkillers are expected to pay state and local governments upward of $50 billion over nearly two decades. Governments are