NIH Awards $350M in Grants to Reduce Overdose Deaths in Four States

According to Politico Pro , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $350 million in grants late last week to institutions in four states — Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio — hit hard by the addiction crisis. The grants are part of an effort to reduce overdose deaths in targeted communities by 40 percent over the next three years. The pilot program seeks to fold addiction prevention and treatment into primary care settings, mental health services, and the criminal justice system. "We believe this effort will show truly dramatic reductions in overdose deaths are possible," states HHS Secretary Alex Azar. The program is part of the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (or HEAL) initiative.