Hartford, CT – The Connecticut Congressional Delegation today announced a $5.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support Connecticut efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The funding is the first of two rounds from the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in December. The law included emergency federal funding to fight opioid addiction, as well as significant reforms to the mental health system and funding for medical research on cancer and other diseases.

“These federal dollars are a major milestone in combating the epidemic of opioid abuse, but it is only a first step. No community is immune from this crisis—a painful reality we witness every day in towns across Connecticut. Sustained federal action is needed to address this public health catastrophe. We will continue to work with colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle to protect access to lifesaving treatment, and to ensure additional funding and support for the programs and services so critical to this fight,” said the Connecticut Congressional Delegation.

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