Portman: Funds to help combat opioid epidemic

CINCINNATI  — U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced last week that $345,839 in federal opioid funding has been distributed to the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) board for Adams, Lawrence, and Scioto counties.

Portman’s office said the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction disbursed a total of $26 million through local ADAMHS boards and statewide initiatives, and that this is the second year in a row Ohio has received opioid funding that Portman helped secure in the CURES law that Congress enacted in 2016.

“This is terrific news for Adams, Lawrence, and Scioto counties, and these new funds will help the communities’ efforts to combat the heroin and prescription drug epidemic gripping our state,” Portman said in a news release. “I was proud to help secure the opioid funding included in the CURES legislation, and I have seen firsthand how this law is making a difference across our state. This is another positive step forward, but we must do more, and that’s why I continue to push for common-sense solutions like the STOP Act and CARA 2.0 that will help us turn the tide of addiction in Ohio and around the country.”

The funding originates from the 21st Century CURES legislation, which was enacted in December 2016 and provided $1 billion over two years nationally to fight the heroin and prescription drug epidemic.

Portman’s office said the senator has urged that opioid funding be included in the CURES package, and the funding awarded to states can be used for improving prescription drug monitoring programs, prevention, training for health care workers, and improving access to treatment for individuals struggling with a substance use disorder.

The ADAMHS Board had sought funding in the 2017 general election through a tax levy, which was defeated by voters in the three counties it serves.