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Denver announced the first eight recipients getting money to fight the opioid epidemic. The money originally came from companies deemed responsible for starting it.
DENVER — Over 18 years, Colorado expects to get $467 million to combat the opioid epidemic. The source of that money is some of the companies deemed responsible for the epidemic — CVS, Walgreens, Johnson & Johnson and others.
Denver has received about $7 million since October 2022, and just started to distribute the money to the first recipients.
“We wanted to get money out the door, but really we wanted to do it in a way that was fair and equitable that ensured that our community partners had an input in where the funds were going,” opioid abatement funds program coordinator Marie Curran said.
She said they also had to go through the city’s request for proposal process, which added time.
“We are so excited to have things started, and our partners that we’re funding are extremely excited as well,” Curran said.
Advocates for Recovery is one of the recipients, receiving a grant for about $340,000.
“Incredible. It means that we’re able to serve more people with free peer recovery support services,” Executive Director Tonya Wheeler said.
In Denver in 2023, the medical examiner reported 567 fatal drug overdoses. The city has seen overdose deaths trending up, from 207 in 2018.
“The need is huge. The need continues to be huge,” Wheeler said.
She plans to use the funds to try to get more support to Spanish speakers battling addiction.
“Because sometimes even the language can be a barrier, right? And we want to jump that barrier, we have to just that barrier so that no more people struggle with this,” Advocates for Recovery Cultural Program Manager Jacque Lucero said.
Lucero will work to hire Spanish-speaking recovery coaches.
At Advocates for Recovery, anyone can get help, no matter where they are at, for free.
They don’t care about the source of the money. They just want people to get the help they need.
“I don’t think it is weird. What’s weird to me is that it took this long and to call it an opioid epidemic to address it,” Program Director James Gannon said.
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