As Kentucky has received nearly $200 million in federal resources as a result of Senator McConnell's leadership,
federal, state and local efforts are making progress in Kentucky's fight against opioid and substance abuse
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) applauded Governor Matt Bevin's announcement that drug overdose deaths fell by nearly 15 percent in Kentucky last year—the first decrease since 2013 and the largest drop in at least a decade. According to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy's "2018 Overdose Fatality Report," lethal overdoses totaled 1,333 in 2018, a decrease from the all-time high of 1,566 in 2017. The decline represents significant progress in the battle against substance abuse in Kentucky and follows years of increasing overdose deaths.
Following the announcement, Senator McConnell said, "Kentucky has sadly been among the states hardest hit by the nationwide opioid and substance abuse epidemic. Now, because of our years-long comprehensive response efforts, our Commonwealth is also helping to lead the recovery. As Senate Majority Leader, I've made the fight to save lives from the horrors of addiction and abuse a top national priority. With an influx of federal resources we're bolstering Kentucky's law enforcement and treatment programs in meaningful ways. Governor Bevin has been an important leader in this effort as well. The results of our work at the federal and state level with our many local partners on the front lines are evident in today's announcement. But this report is also an opportunity to recommit ourselves to reducing and preventing future overdoses and helping Kentuckians maintain long-term recovery."
Van Ingram, the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, thanked Senator McConnell for his efforts at the federal level, saying, "Our Commonwealth is leading the response to the substance-abuse crisis at every level, tripling the nationwide decrease in tragic overdose deaths. This welcome news proves our efforts to combat the scourge of addiction and abuse are working, thanks in large part to aggressive interventions on both the state and federal level. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Senator McConnell to steer federal resources into our state, where they are literally saving lives and benefiting families in every corner of our Commonwealth. We'll continue our work to promote access to naloxone and treatment programs so that we can prevent more heartbreaking overdoses."
Competitive federal grants help deliver resources directly to communities as they fight substance abuse. Since becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized federal resources to fight the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received nearly $200 million to help fight the epidemic.
Senator McConnell recently worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million federal competitive grant to address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He also helped secure inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest hit counties in the Office of National Drug Control Policy's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.
Last year, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The measure included the Senator's CAREER Act, which recognizes that steady employment and safe housing are critical to long-term recovery. The President also signed into law the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with addiction disorders.
Senator McConnell regularly draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. At his request, multiple Drug Czars—the federal official responsible for coordinating the national response—have visited Kentucky to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth.
