HEROIN OVERDOSE DEATHS IN OKLAHOMA increased to 31 LAST YEAR FROM ONLY 12 IN 2011
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced it will give $950,000 to Oklahoma in support of improved access to treatment for opioid-use disorders. The Medication-Assisted Treatment Prescription Drug Opioid Addiction Grants will provide up to $11 million to 11 states to expand access to medication-assisted treatment services for people with opioid-use disorder. The grant program targets states with the highest rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin and prescription opioids per capita, and it prioritizes those states with the most dramatic recent increases for heroin and opioids. Oklahoma leads the nation in abuse of prescription painkillers, according to recent federal data compiled by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Oklahoma had the highest percentage of individuals 12 and older who reported using prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons.
Heroin overdose deaths in Oklahoma increased to 31 last year from only 12 in 2011. Data from 2016 shows the year is on track for 40 or more. Health experts have said the increase reflects the rising cost of prescription painkillers as well as increased imports by Mexican cartels. “The epidemic of opioid use disorders involving the non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers and the use of heroin has had a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities across our nation,” SAMHSA Principal Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto said in a statement. “These grants will help address the key elements of the opioid crisis by promoting effective prevention efforts, preventing overdose deaths and helping ensure that people with opioid use disorders are able to receive vital treatment and recovery support services.” The funding announced Wednesday is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Opioid Initiative, which was launched in March 2015 and is focused on improving opioid prescribing practices, expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and increasing the use of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses.
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