Senator Blunt Announces $3 Million Dollars Toward Curbing Rural Drug Abuse

Missouri US Senator Roy Blunt says the Show Me State is getting $3 Million dollars to help curb rural drug abuse.

The money is being split between three agencies who work in different areas throughout the state.

Blunt says the COVID 19 pandemic has worsened the ongoing Opioid crisis in the state, causing those who are fighting against it to have more relapses and overdoses.

The funding is part of a nationwide push that is putting more than $100 million dollars towards combating substance abuse in rural parts of the country.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced that three Missouri organizations have received $1 million each through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to continue fighting the opioid crisis in rural areas:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the opioid crisis, putting those suffering from opioid and other substance use disorders at greater risk for relapses and overdoses,” said Blunt. “We need to continue getting resources into the hands of local organizations and health care providers so they can reach people who need help. Addressing the nationwide opioid epidemic, especially in our rural areas, has been a focus for our health appropriations subcommittee. We have worked together to increase funding to combat the opioid epidemic by $3.5 billion over the past five years and provided additional funding in the CARES Act. I will continue working to ensure people have access to the treatment they need.”

The funding announced today was included in the Blunt-led FY 2020 Labor/HHS appropriations bill, which provided $110 million to support treatment for and prevention of substance use disorders, with a focus on rural communities at the highest risk for substance use disorder.

The three Missouri organizations that received funding are:

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – St. Louis Area
• Northwest Health Services Inc., St. Joseph 
• Powerhouse Community Development Corporation, Marshall