State lawmakers and addiction prevention advocates are demanding that money from the recent Purdue Pharma settlement goes toward improved treatment services.

They gathered at the Lexington Center for Recovery in Peekskill Tuesday. Officials hope money coming to New York from the $8 billion settlement goes to addiction treatment.

They oppose using it to fill the state budget deficit instead.

While the exact amount coming to the state from the settlement is still unknown, substance use disorder advocates say any additional funding would be used to hire more nurses and counselors, reduce individual caseloads, and start new local treatment centers.

Advocates are also calling on future stimulus money and pandemic relief funds to go toward these services as well.