Liz McCormick Published

W.Va. Will Not See Latest Federal Grant to Combat Opioid Crisis

Drugs, Drug abuse, Drug overdose, overdose
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday it will award $144 million in grants across the country to prevent and treat opioid addiction. But West Virginia won’t see any of it.

In an emailed statement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is administering the grant, West Virginia won’t receive any of the $144 million award.

 

The funding will be distributed to 58 recipients, including other states, cities, healthcare providers, and community organizations. It will be awarded over a period of three to five years.

 

This grant follows another national grant of $485 million dollars announced in April also aimed at combating the opioid crisis. West Virginia did see $5,881,983 from this award for year one.

 

National health surveys indicate last year 12 million people nationwide misused opioids like prescription pain pills and heroin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests 60,000 of those people did not survive.