CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s U.S. senators announced $1.85 million in federal funding for opioid misuse research and treatment programs in the state.
The bulk of the money, $1.53 million, will go to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. West Virginia University will also get $222,500 for drug abuse and addiction research.
“The drug epidemic has ravaged our state, impacting every West Virginian and taking thousands from us too soon, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made this crisis worse,” Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said in a statement.
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said that the pandemic has led to a rise in overdoses and the need for treatment.
The year-end spending legislation passed by Congress on Monday includes $3.95 billion to deal with opioid addiction nationwide. It adds $1.5 billion to a grant program for states, with 15% set aside for West Virginia and other hard hit states.
