Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week and New 2017 Grant Awards to Combat the Epidemic

Nearly 100 Americans die each day because of the nationwide opioid epidemic. To draw renewed attention to this devastating issue that is affecting many individuals, families, and communities across the country, President Donald Trump proclaimed last week, September 17 – 23, 2017, as Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.

Additionally, to help combat the crisis, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) established a coordinated, balanced strategy to combat the opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, criminal justice reform, and overdose reversal. As part of CARA, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released two opportunities for grant funding in January – the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program solicitation and the FY 2017 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program Training and Technical Assistance Program solicitation.

BJA recently made awards for the FY 2017 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program. Category 1 of the solicitation, Overdose Outreach Projects, proposes interventions involving law enforcement as a component of a multidisciplinary response. These interventions are designed to reduce the number of overdose deaths and/or increase treatment and recovery engagement among survivors of nonfatal overdoses. The following communities have been awarded funding under this category: 

• City of Huntington, West Virginia;
• Berkeley, West Virginia;
• Kenton County, Kentucky;
• City of Albuquerque, New Mexico;
• City of Santa Fe, New Mexico;
• City of New Orleans, Louisiana;
• Marion County, Indiana;
• Kenosha County, Wisconsin;
• Beaver County, Pennsylvania;
• Jefferson County, Alabama;
• Erie County, New York; and
• Mason County, Washington.