Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) announced that over 2 million in grant funding would be going to service organizations in rural counties to combat the effects of the opioid crisis.
“Our office has been leading and is continuing to hold accountable manufacturers, marketers, and distributors who have contributed to the opioid crisis,” said Brnovich. “We are now investing settlement funds to reduce the financial impact to Arizona taxpayers and assist people recovering from addiction and resuming their lives as healthy and productive members of society.”
Our office has been leading and continues to hold those who have contributed to the opioid crisis accountable. We are now investing settlement funds to reduce the financial impact to Arizona taxpayers and assist people recovering from addiction. https://t.co/mzDfsVrl3L
— Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) December 22, 2022
In total, 11 organizations are on Brnovich’s list of funding recipients, including the Apache Youth Council, the Casa Grande Alliance, EMPACT-Suicide Prevention Center in Gila County, the Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition (GCSAC), and many others. The grant money will allegedly support over 100,000 vulnerable people, such as the homeless, addicted children, pregnant women and mothers, and human trafficking survivors with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
“Living in a rural community and attempting to locate resources for community members or loved ones who are suffering from opioid addictions can be a challenge, if not impossible. This funding will allow us to provide resources and programs to assist individuals seeking recovery while also providing needed resources to further enhance individuals who are active in their recovery,” said Kathy Grimes, Director of GCSAC.
As reported by The Sun Times, the grant funds were made available through a massive settlement made with four pharmaceutical giants. The companies included distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. An investigation into the companies’ alleged role in perpetuating the opioid epidemic led to the settlement, which resulted in over $540 million being delivered to Arizona over the next 18 years.
As for deciding how to use the money, Brnovich and all of Arizona’s counties, cities, and towns agreed to a plan known as “One Arizona Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Understanding.” The agreement states that all settlement funds are distributed around the state to organizations and plans for treating and preventing OUD.
“These funds are vital to reaching pregnant women in Mohave and Coconino counties who are struggling with opiate use disorder and substance use disorder,” shared Tara Sundem, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Hushabye Nursery, another recipient of funding. “Hushabye Nursery will provide intensive, trauma-informed services prenatally and postpartum to families toward realizing their recovery, as well as better health outcomes for their babies born withdrawing from the opioids they were exposed to in the womb.”
The allocation comes as it appears the opioid crisis is heading in an alarming direction. The California-based Millennium Health (MH) reported that fentanyl exposures in samples from Arizona substance abuse disorder treatment practices increased by 216 percent from 2019 to the beginning of 2022.
Furthermore, the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that, as of Thursday, 1,482 people have confirmed to die of an opioid overdose in 2022.
The supply of fentanyl entering the state from the southern border also remains in full force. At the Nogales Port of Entry, Director Michael Humphries revealed that from Monday, December 19th, to the 22nd, officials confiscated approximately 2,109,800 fentanyl pills, with the majority being found on Wednesday. The pills were discovered in vehicles, construction equipment, and a train car.
Nogales POE: Another million fentanyl pills seized in 24 hours.
On Wednesday night, CBP officers found approximately 230,600 fentanyl pills in the spare tire wheel well of a car.
On Thursday, officers took down approximately 832,000 fentanyl pills secreted throughout a vehicle. pic.twitter.com/OrEMA8tP7c— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) December 23, 2022
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mark Brnovich” by Mark Brnovich. Background Photo “Pills” by Pixabay.
