August 27, 2020

Manchin Announces More Than $43 Million For West Virginia Opioid Crisis

Funding follows Manchin efforts to secure overdose data based formula so West Virginia receives fair share of federal funding

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced West Virginia will receive $43,756,934 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) first-year funds of its two-year State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant program. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Manchin fought for $3.8 billion in dedicated funding to combat the opioid epidemic in the FY20 spending bill, including a 15% set-aside for states with the highest mortality rates, like West Virginia.

“With the highest overdose rate in the country, every single West Virginian has been impacted by the opioid epidemic. That’s why I fought to ensure this funding was distributed based on the overdose rate, not the population rate.  We have made great strides in fighting this epidemic but like every other aspect of our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our ability to combat the opioid epidemic. This $43 million will support community-level resources for West Virginians in need of prevention, treatment and recovery support services,” Senator Manchin said.

The State Opioid Response Grants provide critical funding to states to ensure that they have the resources necessary to address the opioid epidemic from every angle: education and prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. Since 2018, this funding has included a 15% set aside for the states with the highest overdose death rates. This round of State Opioid Response grants have been expanded to address stimulant  misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine. In 2019, there were 70,980 reported deaths from overdoses, passing the high of 70,699 deaths in 2017, with West Virginia having the highest rates of death due to drug overdose.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to address the opioid crisis can be found here.