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CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE TOURS ROCOVERY FITNESS, ANNOUNCES $501 MILLION IN FUNDING TO FIGHT OPIOID EPIDEMIC

July 8, 2019

Calls on Senate and President to support House appropriations package investing in opioid addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives

(Rochester, NY) – Today, Congressman Joe Morelle joined community partners to announce $501 million in funding for initiatives addressing the opioid crisis. The investment was passed in the House of Representatives as part of a fiscal year 2020 appropriations package – now, it is imperative that the Senate and President join the House in supporting this critical funding.

"The opioid epidemic has lost far too many individuals and impacted the lives of too many families throughout our community," said Rep. Morelle. "We need to make bold investments in addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives that help stem the tide of opioid abuse and put people on the path to success. I'm proud that my colleagues and I in the House have appropriated funding to support these critical programs and I encourage the Senate and the President to join us so that we can better support those in crisis and save innocent lives."

"The opioid epidemic is one of the greatest crises of our time," said Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter. "It knows no boundaries and does not discriminate. Thank you to Congressman Morelle and to all the members of the U.S. House of Representatives who understand the importance and complexity of this paramount issue. We appreciate your support and are hopeful the U.S. Senate and President Trump will follow suit. We are most appreciative of these monies which will aid in our multi-jurisdictional, aggressive, three-pronged approach to the opioid crisis; Enforcement, Education, Recovery. The road for those battling addiction, and their families is not easy. Know that this type of funding provides for essential programming, treatment, and ongoing education and outreach to help lead those struggling to a path of recovery. Even one life lost to this terrible disease, is one too many."

"Grassroots organizations rely on community support and the support of opportunities such as this to instill hope in all who struggle with addiction, their families, and the community impacted by the opioid epidemic," said Yana Khaspher, CEO and Co-founder of ROCovery Fitness.

Jennifer Faringer, Director DePaul's National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Rochester Area and Chair of the Opioid Task Force of Monroe County said: "Although we are finally seeing a drop in overdoses and fatalities when comparing county level overdose data from 2018 to the same period of time this year, we know there remains a great deal of work to be done. The devastating loss to a family or a community of even one more beloved son or daughter is one too many! The Opioid Epidemic has ravaged our families, communities, and workplaces across all demographics. The Opioid Task Force of Monroe County has identified both strengths and gaps in our community's response and continues to work collaboratively to find solutions, increasing both access to services and awareness of those services. I applaud Rep Morelle for his efforts in securing additional resources to continue to address the gaps that we've identified locally across the entire spectrum that includes prevention, treatment and recovery!"

Last year, opioid overdoses in Monroe County rose significantly, increasing from 766 reported overdoses in 2017 to 1,133 overdoses in 2018, and an additional 166 fatalities.

Recently, the House passed an appropriations package that included $501 million for initiatives addressing the opioid epidemic, an increase of $33 million over the previous year's funding level. Specifically, it includes:

  • $100 million for youth mentoring grants.
  • $25 million for treatment courts serving veterans.
  • $159 million for Comprehensive Addition and Recovery Act grants to assist state and local governments in combatting the opioid crisis.

"I'm proud that the House has appropriated this critical funding – but this is just the first step," continued Rep. Morelle. "We need a multi-faceted approach to address opioid addiction that includes law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and recovery services. I look forward to working with community partners to tackle this crisis head-on."

The appropriations bill has passed the House and will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

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