Biden administration announces $450M in funding to beat overdose epidemic

The Biden administration announced more than $450 million in new funding to combat the overdose epidemic with the goal to reduce deaths, support recovery efforts and invest in information campaigns that target young people.

“We know the overdose epidemic is a national crisis, far too many families have lost loved ones, their children, their siblings, and their partners,” second gentleman Doug Emhoff told reporters Thursday. “Substance abuse disorders impact families across all of our nation, in cities and rural areas, in red states and blue states. In short, this impacts everyone.”

Emhoff and Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), will meet later Thursday with parents who have lost loved ones to drug overdose to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. This is the second year they are hosting this community of parents.

Within that $450 million, ONDCP will invest more than $20.5 million in 164 new Drug-Free Communities Support Programs, which support evidence-based prevention efforts locally; $1 million will go to a campaign to reach young people about Fentanyl awareness; and more than $18.9 million will go to disrupt illicit drug trafficking operations.

Gupta said the Biden administration is focused on “going after” the traffickers “who are responsible for killing Americans” by bringing drugs into the U.S.  

Senior administration officials argued that President Biden “has been tougher in China in terms of making sure that the illicit actors … that are shipping these chemicals — we’re going after.” Officials noted that sanctions have been placed against Chinese chemical companies, Chinese individuals and Mexican cartels.

The investment on Thursday also includes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarding more than $57.6 million to connect Americans to substance use treatment and recovery support services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will award $279 million in Overdose Data to Action grants to states and localities to expand harm reduction strategies. 

Additionally, the Health Resources and Services Administration will award more than $80 million to rural communities to support strategies to respond to the overdose risk from illicit fentanyl and other opioids.

Neera Tanden, White House domestic policy adviser, told reporters the White House is focused on disrupting the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S. and noted the Biden administration has already taken action, pointing to the Food and Drug Administration approval of two naloxone products. The first of the opioid reversal medication, Tanden said, could be available at retail pharmacies as early as next week.

“This will make a huge difference in driving down the numbers of people who have died from fentanyl-related overdoses,” she added.

Biden said on Thursday that he is grieving with families that have lost loved ones to overdoses on Overdose Awareness Day.

“Let’s find hope in the 20 million brave Americans recovering from substance use disorder who show us what’s possible when people receive the care and support they need,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “My Administration will continue to ensure that our nation has the resources we need to address the overdose epidemic.”

Emhoff told reporters that the overall goal of the new funding is to eliminate the stigma of overdoses, invest in behavioral health resources and make sure communities have the tools needed to fight addiction.

He also noted overdoses flattened in 2022 after sharp increases in 2019 and 2021.

When questioned on the data, senior administration officials added that overdose deaths related to other substances are down or flattening, but Fentanyl overdose deaths are increasing because the supply is more lethal.