Federal Funds to Fight Opioids
(Image courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol.)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded nearly $11 million to the state of Indiana to combat the opioid crisis. The Opioid State Targeted Response grants were created by the 21st Century Cures Act. Indiana’s award is part of $485 million being distributed to all 50 states and four U.S. territories. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly’s office says the state will make the determinations on funding for specific programs at a later date.
The department says previous funding has gone to efforts including medication-assisted treatment and recovery support services as well as prevention efforts like communication campaigns. In September, HHS plans to announce $1 billion in additional funding for states, territories and tribes hit hardest by the crisis.
The funding marks Indiana’s latest tool in the opioid battle. Last year, Indiana University announced its third Grand Challenges initiative would focus on the addiction crisis. The $50 million project aims to create what the school calls one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive state-based responses to the epidemic. Several Indiana communities, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Bloomington and Terre Haute, among others, have also filed suit against wholesale drug distributors.
Indiana University Kelley School of Business economists have pegged the annual economic impact of the opioid epidemic between $1.2 and $1.8 billion.