Feds to distribute $53 million to states to fight opioids
While 53 million may seem like a lot of money..there is an estimated 2 million serious substance abusers… so this money will allocated about $25/substance abuser… That may not afford the cost of ONE DOSE of Naloxone and many times… someone who OD’s needs more than ONE DOSE.. Can you say DROP IN A BUCKET ?
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160831/NEWS/308319997
HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell says the funding will focus on reducing over-prescribing of pain killers, increasing access to treatment and making sure the antidote naloxone is widely available.
The administration is also calling on Congress to provide $1.1 billion in new money, saying legislation recently signed into law didn’t do enough to expand treatment. That bill authorized $181 million in new spending.
Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, said in a conference call announcing the funding that opioid abuse is so common he carries an overdose reversal kit with him. He says federal funding is urgently needed so people seeking treatment don’t have to wait months.
Filed under: General Problems
What a sad bunch this country is getting to be. People are making so much money off the chronically ill. All this is about is making money. Sad
Drug addicts get another $53 million, what do legitimate pain patients get other than screwed?