Trump administration dedicating nearly $2 billion in grants to fight opioid epidemic
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced on Wednesday it will award $1.8 billion in grant funding to state and local governments to bolster treatment and prevention efforts in the battle against the opioid epidemic.
President Donald Trump formally announced the funding, secured through Congress last year, would be distributed through a pair of grant programs.
"These funds will be delivered to the communities where their help is most needed," he said at the White House.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $932 million in state opioid response grants, which were appropriated by Congress through a sweeping legislation package in 2018, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will receive $900 million over three years to improve opioid overdose tracking and other drug-related data.
The president, joined by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, highlighted his administration’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, which include reducing the high cost of drug prescriptions, increasing illegal drug seizures, raising awareness through national anti-drug campaigns as well as improving reporting of opioid-related deaths.
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“So many lives are stopped cold by drugs,” Trump said. “Whether it’s death or just a ruined life. In many cases you have just a ruined life because of drugs. They never recover."
The president said the funds would be used to increase medication-assisted treatment as well as mental health services.
“My administration is determined to use every resource at our disposal to smash the grip of addiction,” he said.
He added his administration was spending a "great deal of money at my request" to find a non-addictive painkiller.
The $932 million will be awarded to all 50 states and several territories, ranging in "everything from expanding the use of medication-assisted treatment in criminal justice settings, or in rural areas, via telemedicine, to youth-focused, community-based prevention efforts," Azar told reporters earlier on Wednesday.
The CDC is expected to award $301 million in the first year to 47 states, 16 local municipalities, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories.
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About 130 Americans die every day from drug overdoses related to opioids, according to the CDC.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump offering $2 million in grants to fight opioid epidemic in states
