ATLANTA — Friday is the last day to apply for hundreds of millions of dollars in new grants to address opioid addiction. The money is being made available through a grant program created by the state from an opioid settlement.
Commissioner Kevin Tanner, with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, leads the state's Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, the fund created to receive the landmark settlement from a 2021 with pharmaceutical companies.
"We saw people get addicted to the opioid, and then that led to them not being able to get the opioid. It led to fentanyl use and heroin use, which has led to overdoses, and we're seeing that's a common story we see throughout the state," Commissioner Tanner noted, highlighting the complex and deadly progression of addiction in Georgia.
Pharmaceutical giants AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and Johnson & Johnson were ordered to pay states $26 billion for their role in the opioid epidemic. Georgia got $638 million; $479 million is slated for deposit into the trust over 18 years and divided up 60% for statewide efforts. Forty percent will be for regional efforts. Cities, counties, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations can apply for grants.
State and regional advisory groups will help determine grant recipients, ensuring that the funds are distributed to where they can have the most significant impact in combating the opioid crisis across Georgia.
The urgency of this mission is underscored by the alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths in Georgia, which increased by 207% from 2010 to 2020, according to the state’s Department of Health.
"You continue to see the numbers. Year after year of over 100,000 individuals from just opioid deaths," Brian Kite, with The Georgia Council for Recovery, said.
Kite knows the impact of the numbers all too well, as he once battled addiction himself. His experience inspired his passion for addiction and recovery work.
"I've seen firsthand the devastation of addiction. I've lost friends to opioid overdoses, and I've battled addiction myself for over nine years," he shared.
Kite said the funds stand to address core gaps in treatment, such as increasing access to medication for individuals with opioid use disorder and expanding access to Naloxone across the state. Kite said he believes these efforts could make a significant difference for those still struggling with addiction and offer a chance to save lives.
"Although it is tragic how the money first came into the hands of the state, it is going to benefit so many lives and save so many Georgians," Kite concluded.
May 17 is the last day to submit applications for the Opioid Abatement Trust. Groups can apply for grants through GAOpioidTrust.org, with the first grant award announcements expected in the fall.