The Opioid Crisis: How we reached one of the worst epidemics in U.S history
The opioid crisis, easily one of the worst epidemics in U.S history, has ballooned out of control, and its impact is being felt throughout the country. The devastating effects of this crisis have prompted a response from the Trump administration who have held several discussions to address solutions that will help to tamp down on drug overdoses and death. On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, announced the funding of more than 1.8 billion. That funding would go to states in a further effort to battle the opioid crisis, one of the worst epidemics in recent time, by expanding access to treatment and supporting near-real-time data on the drug overdose crisis. This announcement comes at a time when all over the country, especially in low-income communities, the opioid epidemic has run rampant.
The funds will come from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and The Center for Disease Control, providing $932 million and $900 million respectively. The CDC is launching a cooperative agreement with all 50 states to advance the understanding of the opioid overdose epidemic and to scale-up prevention and response activities. $301 million will be released within the first year. According to HHS, “The State Opioid Response grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provide flexible funding to state governments to support prevention, treatment, and recovery services in the ways that meet the needs of their state.” By the end of 2019, the HHS will have awarded over $9 billion in grants to states and local communities to help increase access to treatment and prevention services, since 2017.
On Wednesday President Trump gave remarks upon the announcement of the funding, which CNBC covered, in those remarks the President said that these funds would be delivered to the communities that need them the most. In 2017 The President declared a state of emergency over the opioid crisis, later signing a bipartisan bill “Support for Patients and Community Act”, which aimed to expand recover centers, curb drug shipments, life treatment restrictions, give priority to increased painkiller research done by the NIH, and made significant changes to Medicare and Medicaid. Those changes meant to increase coverage and medical options for substance abuse disorders, including giving patients access to telehealth providers.
From 2017 to 2018, provisional counts of drug overdose deaths dropped by 5%, and overdose deaths from opioids went down 2.8% during that time. The number of individuals reporting pain reliever misuse decreased from 2017 to 2018 by 11%, with fewer than 10 million Americans now reporting misuse, according to the CDC.
GrantWatch is happy to join in the fight against a dangerous opioid crisis that has resulted in such a devastating blow to so many. GrantWatch has the most up to date listings for substance abuse treatment and prevention grants, from both federal and state sources. Nonprofits can apply for these grants to provide vital services to their communities, many of which have been beleaguered by this tragedy. Our team at GrantWatch is always available to answer any questions regarding these grants and can be reached at support@grantwatch.com as well as by phone at 561-249-4129.