Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are giving $350 million to researchers in four states hit hardest by the deadly opioid epidemic.
The study announced Thursday aims to cut overdose deaths by 40% over three years in local communities grappling with misuse of the addictive drugs. Researchers will study evidence-based techniques for fighting addiction and overdose, such as medication-based treatments like methadone and criminal justice reforms.
The grants from the National Institutes of Health will go the University of Kentucky, Boston Medical Center, New York City's Columbia University and Ohio State University.
Government officials across the U.S. have been fighting a multi-decade epidemic of opioid addiction, which includes not only prescription painkillers, but also illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl. Deaths linked to those drugs rose to a record 48,000 in 2017.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.