The Trump administration released $485 million worth of grants to states and territories to combat the opioid epidemic, the second round of grants aimed at curbing abuse.
The funding will go toward 57 grants to support efforts at the state level to combat opioid abuse. The funding is authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 and will be distributed by Health and Human Services.
“These funds will help support evidence-based efforts at the state level to prevent misuse of opioids in the first place, expand access to effective treatment options for people in need and support recovery for those who have prevailed,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
HHS said states have used the first round of grants distributed in 2017 to create programs to expand medication-assisted treatment, promote the use of overdose antidote naloxone and build sustainable recovery strategies.
HHS is also expected to release details in the next few months on a separate $1 billion grant funding opportunity for states hit hardest by the crisis. The funding is expected to be awarded in September, HHS said.
Congress also included $3.3 billion in funding to combat the epidemic in a spending bill it passed last month. Federal data shows that more than 42,000 people died from an opioid overdose in 2016.
