Grant money to fight the opioid crisis in Louisiana
This week, the Louisiana Department of Health received over $24 million in grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat the opioid epidemic in the state of Louisiana.
Assistant Health Secretary Janice Petersen says they are dealing with an even larger problem.
"This is just a part of the overall substance use disorder crisis that we are having in our country and in Louisiana, so we want to provide a comprehensive approach to address all of the issues," said Petersen.
She says there is concern about addicts who can't afford to get any help.
"We are highlighting those folks as a priority population, so those folks who don't have any money shouldn't have a problem with getting the treatment they need," Petersen said.
The grants will allow the department to scale up prevention and response activities, increase access to medication-assisted treatment and expand access to substance use disorder and mental health services.
Opioid Addiction Treatment