Senator Shaheen Touts Funds to Fight Opioids

US Senator from New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen is touting an increase in Federal funds to New Hampshire her office says she helped secure. New Hampshire and other hard-hit states by the opioid epidemic have received an increase in Federal funding to help combat the trend. Last year New Hampshire received $22.9 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help treat those afflicted with opioid addiction. That’s a significant boost from the $3.1 million New Hampshire had received in 2017. Shaheen’s office touted the increase in funding to the State saying, “We cannot grow numb to this tragedy and need to keep finding ways to save lives and deliver treatment before it’s too late.” Last month the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New Hampshire put out the official state tally for drug deaths in 2018. Opioids were responsible for the vast majority of deaths with roughly 420 deaths due to opioids compared to the annual total of roughly 470 deaths. That total represents a very minor drop but it’s the first drop since the start of the spike in deaths by opioids that began in 2013.