(BINGHAMTON, NY)- The Broome County Health Department announced today the second round of grant recipients for Opioid Settlement Funding. Three Broome County organizations have been awarded grants ranging from $102,000- $150,000. This is the second round of these funds being distributed to various agencies across the county. To date, a total of $1.2 million has been awarded from the Opioid Settlement funding across the county to help decrease overdoses and save lives. The Opioid Settlement Fund was created through the work of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and her historic lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that contributed to the overdose epidemic.
Marissa Knapp, Director of Overdose Prevention for Broome County said, “Fighting this public health epidemic takes a multi-faceted approach, and we are excited to offer our community partners the opportunity to explore new ways of saving lives, preventing substance use disorders (SUD) and reducing the stigma that often exists with SUD.”
The following agencies have been awarded funding for the second round: Family and Childrens Society, Helio Health, and Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP). Projects being funded will address treatment, recovery, harm reduction, prevention, and education efforts in the community. Knapp reported that in 2023 we saw a decrease in both suspected fatal and non-fatal overdoses across Broome County. “We believe this decrease is due to the efforts of multiple agencies like the ones you see standing here today.” There has been a 24% decrease in suspected non-fatal overdoses in 2023 with a total of 351, compared to 2022 at 460 and a 22.5% decrease in suspected fatal overdoses going down from 80 in 2022 to 64 in 2023.
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “As we continue to combat the overdose epidemic in Broome County, we are extremely thankful to the many community agencies who continue to work to save lives. These awarded funds will help our strong network of community agencies continue their important work by helping individuals with SUDs at every step along their journey to recovery.”
In March of 2019, the New York State Attorney General filed an extensive lawsuit against large pharmaceutical manufacturers which resulted in a settlement being awarded to New York State to address drug misuse, substance use disorders, both fatal and non-fatal overdoses and recreational substance use. Broome County was one of the first counties to sign on to the AG’s lawsuit.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities throughout New York, including in Broome County. While no amount of money can make up for the lives lost and families torn apart by the opioid crisis, the funds we have secured from opioid manufacturers and peddlers will help our state recover from this crisis. I was proud to visit Broome County to help distribute funds in the past, and I am pleased to see local leaders take action to invest in prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that will help
save lives. Together with my partners in government, I look forward to continuing our fight to turn the tide against this public health crisis.”
