The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General has received 101 applications for an initial round of $23 million in grants local groups can use to counteract the impacts of the opioid epidemic.
The groups who applied for these awards from December through March include 34 counties, 33 school districts, 22 municipalities, seven public trusts and two technical school districts. The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board initially received over 250 letters of intent from local communities saying they wanted a portion of these funds.
The 101 applicants are vying for a piece of the nearly $1 billion Oklahoma received from lawsuits against opioid distributors, manufacturers and retailers. The funding, overseen by the state’s Opioid Abatement Board, can be used for things like treatment and recovery programs, and opioid abuse education and prevention.
Oklahoma lost 1,873 people to opioids from 2018-2022, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a news release he’s pleased groups from across the state are seeking funding.
"It is important these funds get to local communities to remove fentanyl and other deadly opioids from our streets and to provide help for those grappling with addiction,” Drummond said.
The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board will use a rubric to score the applications it has received and present funding recommendations to be voted on during its May 22 meeting.
A full list of grant applicants is available on the Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General's website.
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