U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) applauded $53 million in funding announced on Thursday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help combat opioid abuse in 44 states.
The funding will support six programs operating in 44 states through the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“I have consistently said that we are at risk of losing an entire generation if we don’t combat the opioid epidemic with a spectrum of solutions,” Capito said. “That’s why I fought for this vital funding as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and worked to ensure that West Virginia has the right resources to address the scourge of addiction. These grants aim to help reduce the number of overdose deaths, improve the monitoring of opioid overdoses and strengthen drug prevention.”
The Prescription Drug Opioid Overdose Prevention Grants will provide up to $11 million to reduce opioid overdose-related deaths in 12 states, while the Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Prescription Drugs Grants will provide $9 million to strengthen drug abuse prevention efforts in 21 states.
“(These programs) will also raise awareness about the dangers of overprescribing, a strategy I have supported through bipartisan legislation,” Capito said. “I am hopeful that this funding will be helpful in West Virginia’s efforts to stem the devastation caused by the opioid crisis.”
Additionally, the Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality program will award $4.27 million in funds to track fatal and non-fatal opioid-involved deaths in 12 states.