COLUMBUS, Ohio — Continuing efforts to combat opioid use disorder and prevent deaths from overdoses, the state has announced that $100 million in federal funding is headed out to communities around Ohio.

What You Need To Know

  • The state has announced another $100 million in funding for combating opioid use disorder and preventing deaths from overdoses

  • This is the fourth round of State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS) grant funds

  • Ohio saw a 9% drop in overdose deaths in 2023

A press release from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office notes that this is the fourth round of State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS) grant funds awarded to organizations around the state.

“In Ohio, we’ve put into action one of the nation’s most comprehensive and aggressive strategies for fighting substance use and preventing overdose deaths – and these SOS grants are a key piece of the puzzle,” DeWine said in the release. “We are empowering our local partners to advance their work to protect communities and families from the devastating consequences of opioids and other substances. Ohio’s overdose death rate has started to decrease significantly in recent years, and our goal is to use these grants to continue this encouraging progress.”

The release also highlights Ohio’s progress in slowing overdose deaths, with a 9% drop in 2023. That’s compared to just 2% nationally.

A good chunk of the funding—almost $69 million—is headed to county Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services boards and community-based providers, and some will also be used to make sure “naloxone and other community resources” is available statewide.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) identifies the following as priorities for this federal funding, according to the release:

  • Reducing unintentional overdose deaths
  • Increasing access to substance use disorder treatment
  • Preventing youth substance use
  • Increasing recovery support services
  • Supporting responsible prescribing practices and statewide education efforts
  • Promoting integrated harm reduction practices

“This funding is vitally important to supporting our ongoing work to prevent and reduce overdose deaths in our state,” OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn said in the release. “While the data is trending in the right direction, we’re not out of the woods yet. Fentanyl remains a serious threat to our communities, and that’s why we are committed to thoughtfully investing these resources in projects that make a real difference, and ultimately save lives.”

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