Federal and local leaders fight opioid epidemic

By Ivan Sanchez  In a joint effort to confront the scourge of substance abuse, the Biden-Harris Administration and Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) have announced substantial funding initiatives totaling over $120 million. While the federal government allocates $39.4 million to bolster mental health and substance abuse services nationwide, the OAC unveils its inaugural community grants, amounting to $80,936,057, dedicated to combating opioid addiction within Tennessee. According to KFF, data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “The U.S. saw improvement in opioid-related death rates from 2017 to 2018, before they sharply accelerated during the pandemic and with increases in illicit fentanyl. In 2021, there were 3,038 opioid overdose deaths in Tennessee, which accounted for 80% of all drug overdose deaths in the state. Across the U.S., opioid overdose deaths accounted for 75% of all drug overdose deaths in the country in 2021.” The OAC’s community grants mark a significant milestone in the state’s ongoing battle against opioid addiction, with programs funded for up to three years. Following an extensive application process last fall, wherein 396 proposals were submitted by organizations statewide, the OAC meticulously evaluated and scored each submission. Recently, during a meeting in Farragut on March...