Rhode Island Opioid Crisis: Funding For 1,300 Narcan Doses Set

WASHINGTON, DC — Rhode Island's congressional delegation this week announced $2.1 million in federal funding to fight the state's opioid epidemic. The money will be used for 1,300 doses of the overdose antidote Narcan.

"This funding will be put to good use building on the hard-fought progress we’ve made preventing addiction and helping those on the long, noble path of recovery,” U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said in a statement Tuesday.

The money will be used by the Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare for other initiatives, including prevention efforts, treatment and fentanyl testing, Whitehouse said.

There has been some hope amid the epidemic. There were 323 opioid overdose deaths in 2017, down from 336 in 2016, according to the state Department of Health.

Congressmen Jim Langevin added, “The opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of too many Rhode Islanders. Although we have made some important progress providing much-needed resources to help individuals struggling with opioid addiction, there is so much more we can and must do."

Photo: A Narcan kit. (Credit: Patch)