The U.S. Department of Justice recently awarded West Virginia nearly $38 million to improve community safety and fight crime associated with the opioid crisis.
The grants are part of more than $333 million awarded to states, tribes, and communities.
The Department of Criminal Justice Services will receive $6.5 million to fund three programs aimed at assisting children and low-level drug offenders and providing telehealth services to underserved and geographically isolated communities.
Berkeley County and a peer recovery program in Charleston will receive $1.5 million to support mental health services for at-risk youth.
The remainder of the awards will cover a variety of activities, including inmate re-entry services, services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and school safety initiatives.
West Virginia has the highest age-adjusted rate of opioid overdose deaths in the United States. In 2017, opioid-related deaths in the state were 49.6 per 100,000 people, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is more than three times the national average.
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl cause a large number of overdose deaths.
The majority of the funding is through the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program. Grants also have been awarded to combat methamphetamines abuse and trafficking.