ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation now has more resources to fight drug trafficking in the state.
Senator Jon Ossoff announced Friday that a $142,590 COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force ( AHTF) grant was awarded to Georgia by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
AHTF is a competitive grant program that provides funding to state law enforcement agencies in states with high per capita levels of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl and other opioids, according to the DOJ.
The funds will be used for drug enforcement measures, including investigations and activities related to the distribution of heroin and other opioids and the illegal distribution of prescription opioids.
"The use abuse of fentanyl, of heroin, of illicit opioids and of opioids that have been diverted from legal prescriptions into the black market is having a devastating impact on communities across the country. That's why I'm announcing these new resources for law enforcement here in Georgia to crack down on drug trafficking in our state," Sen. Ossoff said.
Georgia is no stranger to the effects of opioids.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), all drug overdose deaths in the state increased by 55.9% from 2019 to 2021.
From 2019 to 2021, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased by 218.4%, reports DPH.
Sen. Ossoff said that the money secured is currently on its way to Georgia.