NASHVILLE – Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee praised the state’s Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) for its announcement on Friday of the first ever round of community grants, which amounts to a substantial $80,936,057. The funding is aimed at supporting a wide range of programs to address opioid addiction and is part of the efforts stemming from years of litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors by the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Skrmetti expressed his pride in securing the significant settlement funds, emphasizing the hard work of his team over the years and the goal of delivering over a billion dollars in total settlement funds to fight the opioid epidemic in Tennessee. He commended the OAC for its role in determining the most effective use of these funds and vowed continued efforts to hold accountable those companies responsible for the crisis.
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The grants, derived from settlements with opioid producers, distributors, pharmacies, and marketers, will fund 116 projects designed by 85 awardees across the state. These projects were selected from 396 proposals submitted during the OAC’s application period last fall and were approved during a meeting in Farragut on March 18. The funded programs span six strategic areas: Treatment, Recovery Support, Primary Prevention, Education and Training, Harm Reduction, and Research and Evaluation, with specific funding allocations to each area.
Notably, 30 of the 116 projects have a statewide reach, and approximately $5.7 million of the total awarded funds are earmarked for capital projects. The initiatives supported by these grants are expected to make a significant impact on the opioid crisis in Tennessee over the next three years.
For more information about the OAC and its initiatives, visit TN.gov/oac.
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Knoxville City Council Approves Youth Support Funds
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