To Beat Opioid Crisis, Prevention Work Has To Start In Schools, Massachusetts AG says
The state's Youth Opioid Prevention Grant Program, which will dole out the funds to schools, was established with money that Walgreens and CVS paid to settle charges of improper dispensing of opioids. Media outlets also report on news related to the epidemic from Florida and Virginia.
Boston Globe:
Attorney General Makes Grants To Prevent Drug Abuse
Attorney General Maura Healey is distributing $700,000 to school districts and community organizations across the state to provide programs intended to prevent substance abuse among youth. ... The schools will develop an antidrug curriculum for fifth-graders and provide additional training for staff. (Freyer, 5/1)
Health News Florida:
Critics Call On Gov. To Order State Of Emergency For Overdose Crisis
Calls are mounting for Gov. Rick Scott to declare of public health emergency in the wake of an estimated 4,000 deaths in Florida last year due to heroin and opioid overdoses. Other states struggling with the problem - including Maryland, Alaska, and Virginia - have chosen to declare an emergency, enabling the release of additional funds for law enforcement and treatment. (Jordan, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Virginia Looks To Provide Drug Treatment To More Inmates
Officials say Virginia is joining in an effort to expand access to opioid addition treatment for prisoners. The Virginia Department of Corrections says Virginia is one of eight states picked by the National Governors Association for the “learning lab.” Officials say the states will learn about initiatives in place in Massachusetts and create plans for how to get more offenders in opioid addiction treatment. (5/2)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
In Virginia's Opioid Epidemic, This Drug Is The Top Killer
Fentanyl became the deadliest drug in the state last year, surging past heroin and prescription painkillers. Evidence that the painkiller epidemic gave rise to a new wave of heroin use has continued to grow, with illegal opioid deaths outnumbering prescription opioid deaths since 2013. (Demeria, 5/1)
