West Virginia is eligible for nearly $46 million in federal aid to battle the opioid epidemic this year, according to U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
The federal aid will come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to fight the opioid crisis through the State Opioid Response (SOR) program, officials said.
SAMHSA SOR funding includes resources to ensure Naloxone is in the hands of those most likely to witness an overdose, increase prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support services for those ages 16 to 25, expand access to medications for opioid use disorder in correctional settings and help promote a “whole-person approach,” which includes taking into account an individual’s physical and mental health along with their opioid use disorder.
Statistics show that 78 percent of those who received treatment through SOR did not use illicit drugs prior to their six-month follow-up appointment, officials said.
In the past, funding for the SOR program was distributed to the states based on population, which put West Virginia at a disadvantage for greatly needed resources. However, in 2017, Capito helped lead discussions on how to help the hardest-hit states, which resulted in 15 percent of the funds set aside for states with the highest mortality rates from opioid use. This led to millions in additional funds for West Virginia.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses fell nationally from 111,029 in 2022 to 107,543 in 2023, which is a 3 percent decrease. However, during that same period, opioid overdoses rose in West Virginia by 1.34 percent.
“In our battle against the addiction crisis, we must continue to connect West Virginia’s substance use and prevention organizations with the resources they need,” Capito said. “That’s why through my role on the Appropriations Committee — and now as the top Republican of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee — I have worked hard to make sure our state has the resources it needs to combat the crisis, including creating new solutions like the measure I authored to prioritize funds for states hardest hit by the crisis. This funding opportunity can open more doors to help West Virginia overcome the challenge drugs, especially deadly opioids like fentanyl, pose in our communities.”