March 21, 2019

Manchin, Capito Announce Over $14 Million To Combat The Opioid Epidemic

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $14,630,361 to West Virginia to combat the opioid epidemic.

“West Virginia has been at the frontlines of the fight against the opioid epidemic and is now ground zero for recovery efforts. This funding will enable West Virginia to provide our citizens with the help that they need in order to combat the opioid epidemic in our state. Our citizens deserve the opportunity to receive treatment. As a member of the Appropriations committee, I will continue to fight to ensure that West Virginia receives the federal funding and support we need to prevent overdose deaths,” said Senator Manchin.

“The drug epidemic has devastated so many families and so many communities across West Virginia, and federal funding like this plays an important role in helping us fight back against the opioid crisis,” Senator Capito said. “I helped change the state grant formula in the Labor-HHS government funding bill last fall, and the benefits of that change are evident today with this distribution of resources. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, it’s been my goal not only to ensure these funds are available but also to make sure they’re going to states with the greatest needs—states like West Virginia. I am glad to see this critical funding come to our state and will continue to advocate for these much-needed resources.”

The State Opioid Response Grants administered by HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) increase access for the treatment of opioid use disorder, address unmet needs, and reduce deaths from overdose through the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery activities for opioid use disorder.

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