As money is funneled to states, opioid councils wield significant power in determining how it gets spent. They face concerns about conflicts of interest and lack of representation by affected groups.
The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic. But with countless groups advocating for a share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.
The 2022 unified vision for transforming mental health and substance use care in Georgia is part of a multiyear legislative process. Last year, they called for better access to mental health care as the state tackled effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the group is asking for more funding of behavioral health programs that have proven effective.
New research shows drug overdose deaths continue to surge among Black Americans. For the first time since 1999, Black Americans are dying at a higher rate per capita than white Americans.
In Georgia, more than 1,900 people died of drug-related causes in the 12-month period ending January 2021, which is a 38.8% increase over data from the previous year.
McKinsey is the latest major American corporation to face legal, financial and public relations peril stemming from its role in the nation's deadly opioid epidemic.
The Biden administration had Day 1 plans for the pandemic, economy and climate change. Experts say they haven't yet seen that same focus on the addiction crisis, which is killing 220 people a day.
San Francisco will soon launch the nation's largest experiment that diverts most nonviolent mental health and behavioral crisis calls away from police and to specially trained mobile units.
