A federal grant of $11.36 million is coming to Rhode Island to help combat opioid addiction. The funds are part of a grant effort to help reduce overdoses and provide more support for those struggling with addiction.
The funding is coming from the State Opioid Response Grant program and will be used for a variety of purposes, including expanding access to naloxone, which is used to reverse opioid overdoses.
“Too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses and opioid addiction has shattered too many lives,” said Senator Jack Reed. “This federal funding will strengthen the state’s coordinated response to combat addiction, reduce overdose rates, and put recovery within reach for more Rhode Islanders.”
The grant program is managed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and is available to states across the country.
“The opioid crisis has taken a heartbreaking toll on families from all walks of life in every corner of our state,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “We need to ensure treatment, prevention, and recovery services are reaching the Rhode Islanders who need them.”
According to data from the Rhode Island Department of Health, overdoses involving opioids, including fentanyl, declined by 7.3% in 2023, the first time in four years that the number has gone down. The multi-agency effort to streamline naloxone procurement and distribution across the state was credited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent.
The funds are expected to help improve data collection and tracking mechanisms related to overdose prevention and recovery services.
“Opioid addiction has impacted countless Rhode Island families,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “Today, I’m proud to stand with my delegation colleagues as we announce more than $11 million dollars in federal funding to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery programs in our state. Let’s keep going.”
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
