Baldwin Announces Over $17.7 Million to Tackle Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis in Wisconsin
Wisconsin receives increased funding following the passage of Baldwin-led legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), announced over $17.7 million in State Opioid Response grants are now being made available to the State of Wisconsin to combat the fentanyl and opioid epidemic. As LHHS Chair, Senator Baldwin wrote the government funding bill that funds the opioid response program and successfully fought to get it signed into law. Senator Baldwin also led the charge to improve the reach of the funding through her State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act, giving Wisconsin increased funding and more flexibility in administering the federal investments.
The State Opioid Response program provides communities and states with resources to increase access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorders. In 2022, Senators Baldwin and Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act to give local and Tribal communities resources to better combat the opioid and substance use disorder epidemic. The legislation, signed into law in 2022, improved opioid response grants by providing additional investments in and flexibility for states and Tribal communities.
Since 2019, fentanyl overdoses have been the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, and in 2022, Wisconsin experienced over 1,400 opioid-related deaths. From 2018 to 2023, State Opioid Response grant recipients have reported over 550,000 overdose reversals, approximately 9.8 million naloxone kits and 7 million fentanyl test strips distributed, and 78% of people who received treatment through the opioid response grant reported they did not use illicit drugs at their six-month follow-up.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Legislators Agree on Opioid Plan, Still Withhold PFAS, Hospital Funds - Erik Gunn - May 8th, 2024
- Baldwin Announces Over $17.7 Million to Tackle Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis in Wisconsin - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - May 7th, 2024
- Baldwin Backed Legislation to Crack Down on Fentanyl Traffickers Heads to President’s Desk - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 24th, 2024
- Legislature Stalls Opioid Settlement Funds. Again - Erik Gunn - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee Bucks Legend Marques Johnson Joins Forces with Serenity Inns to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Milwaukee - Serenity Inns - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded Grants from State Opioid Settlement Funds - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 18th, 2024
- MKE County: County Wins Award for Opioid Settlement Fund Usage - Graham Kilmer - Apr 4th, 2024
- MKE County: County Offering $2.8 Million For Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Mar 28th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Calls on House to Pass Bill that Cracks Down on Fentanyl Traffickers - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Feb 15th, 2024
- Attorney General Josh Kaul announces $350 million settlement with marketing firm over its role in opioid epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Feb 1st, 2024
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
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