Toby Talbot/AP
Hydrocodone-acetaminophen pills, also known as Vicodin, are arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 | 7:41 p.m.
The U.S. Justice Department awarded entities in Nevada $5.3 million to combat the opioid epidemic sweeping the country, according to the office of the U.S. attorney for Nevada.
Officials today announced the grant, which is a portion of about $320 million being distributed across the U.S.
The funds will focus on implementing efforts to “respond, treat and support” those affected by the drug, which 72,000 people overdosed on in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s a 12.5 percent increase from the previous year.
“The unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including crime victims, children, families, and first responders,” officials wrote in a news release.
Henderson will receive $300,000 for drug courts, while the Clark County Court system obtained about $874,000 to support family drug court programs for youth with opioid abuse problems and mental disorders, officials said.
About $630,000 will go to Nevada’s Board of Pharmacy to improve prescription enrollment and its monitoring program, incorporating data to identify issues in “doctor shopping” among other problems, officials said.
President Donald Trump “has made ending the opioid crisis a priority for this administration,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “We are attacking the crisis from every angle – and we will not let up until we bring it to an end,” he added.
