U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced millions of dollars in grant funding awarded to their home states to help fight the opioid epidemic.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will award a $10 million grant to Missouri and a $2 million grant to Maine to combat drug addiction.
A total of $485 million in funding will be administered to all 50 states through SAMHSA State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants. The program was authorized under the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law last year.
“The opioid epidemic is destroying families and communities across the country, and Missouri is no exception,” Blunt said. “In 2015, more than 1,000 Missourians died from a lethal drug overdose. Addiction is treatable, but only around 10 percent of those struggling with the disease get the help they need. This grant will expand access to treatment, recovery and prevention programs, and strengthen our state’s ability to combat this growing epidemic.”
Blunt, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, worked to secure a 200-percent increase in funding for opioid-related programs in the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill.
“I will continue fighting to secure funding levels that reflect the magnitude of the crisis we face,” Blunt said.
Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, championed the 21st Century Cures Act and authored five provisions that were included in the legislation.
“The heroin and opioid abuse epidemic is tragically fueling a record number of overdose deaths and is taking a devastating toll on families and communities in Maine and across the country,” Collins said. “This funding will support vital programs that provide hope, recovery and healing to Mainers who are struggling with addiction.”
Maine recorded 376 drug overdose deaths in 2016, and there were more than 52,000 overdose deaths nationwide.