Connecticut’s Opioid Epidemic Gains Federal Attention

If any form of addiction has touched your life or the life of someone you know, any and everything that can be done, needs to be. The state of Connecticut continues to combat this horror.

Every damn day, in Connecticut and beyond there is another story of heroin addiction and it's wake of destruction.

In a story from newstimes.com, a Torrington woman has been charged with selling fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in yet another overdose death in our state. This time, we lost another person from New Milford.

Within the past week, more shocking headlines about abuse, this one involving a child. Here's the Facebook posting from the City of East Liverpool, Ohio:

My god, when will it end?  The state of Connecticut hopes the newest funding from the federal government will help. The Hartford Courant is reporting that Connecticut is getting $5,000,000 from the federal government to help address the current opioid crisis.

The federal grant will be used by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. A portion of it will be used in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of misusing and abusing prescriptions, and the risks of over-prescribing. The major portion of the money will be funneled into programs that offer access to medication-assisted treatment in Connecticut. DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittman had this to say to the Hartford Courant :

Medication-assisted treatment, along with counseling, has proven to be one of the most effective ways to treat people who are dependent on heroin and prescription drugs. These services provide hope and support for recovery for those battling addiction.

It won't be an easy fix, evidenced by the fact that the grant spans over the next five years, but I'm hopeful it will make a difference and save many lives.