CDC gives $279M toward reducing drug overdoses in US

Key takeaways:

• In 2021, there were over 106,000 deaths in the United States from drug-related overdoses.
• The CDC funds will help states and communities effectively and equitably address drug overdoses.

The CDC has awarded $279 million to 49 states, the District of Columbia and 40 local health departments to address rising drug overdoses in communities, the agency announced.

“The growing overdose crisis particularly among young people requires urgent action,” CDC Director Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, said in a press release. “To help, CDC is providing funding that will allow communities to respond more quickly, more effectively and more equitably — using data to drive action steps that reduce overdose deaths and related harms in communities as fast as possible.”

The funding was given in recognition of Opioid Awareness Day, Aug. 31. The financial resources come from two Overdose Data to Action funding opportunities, according to the release.

The CDC previously reported that over 106,000 individuals in the U.S. died from drug-related overdoses in 2021, up from 91,799 in 2020.

Recent MWWR data also showed that counterfeit pill use has doubled from July to September of 2019 to October to December of 2021.

The CDC noted these pills can be particularly dangerous because their appearance as being pharmaceutical pills when they actually contain illegal fentanyl and benzodiazepines, like bromazolam and etizolam.

The CDC highlighted three strategies that can help reduce overdoses, which include:

• increasing access and reducing barriers to proven treatment and support services for individuals with substance use disorders;
• raising awareness about fentanyl and polysubstance use while reducing stigmas around treatment and recovery; and
• expanding the distribution and education on naloxone, expanding access to harm reduction services and expanding education on risks from substance abuse in disproportionately impacted communities.

“CDC is committed to saving lives, and to do this we must continue to provide our communities with the resources they need to stay ahead of and respond to this crisis,” Grant Baldwin, PhD, MPH, director of the Division of Overdose Prevention at the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in the release. “The growing overdose crisis, particularly among young people, requires prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction efforts that are tailored to specific high-risk groups, and delivered in ways that will have an impact.”

References:

• CDC awards $279M to 49 States, the District of Columbia, and 40 local health departments to help prevent drug overdoses. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0831-health-department-awards.html. Published Aug. 31, 2023. Accessed Aug. 31, 2023.
• Drug overdose death rates. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates. Accessed Aug. 31, 2023.
• O’Donnell J, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7235a3.