3 states receive federal grants for addiction recovery

BOSTON — Massachusetts is among three states sharing additional federal funding to help stem the opioid addiction crisis.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker announced the funds during a visit Friday to a recovery center in South Boston.

The money will be used to support programs that help people who have substance abuse disorders and are already in the criminal justice system, and to train more people to use the overdose reversal drug naloxone.

Massachusetts, New Hampshire and West Virginia are each receiving $333,000 from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Governor Baker spoke with members from the Gavin Foundations Devine Recovery Center, where he said that, although progress has been made, more needs to be done to help people with substance abuse disorder.

Massachusetts was just one of few states to see a decrease in opioid overdoses and deaths in 2017, but Governor Baker said the work is only beginning.

He's calling on the legislature to take up his administration's second significant package to fight the epidemic, known as the Care Act.

The Care Act calls for increasing access to treatment and recovery services, as well as emergency room care.

It also highlights education and prevention efforts, which Baker said is necessary after years of over prescribing pills in standard amounts of 30, 60 and 90 day supplies.

"For many circumstances and situations in healthcare, in dentistry, in many other forms of healthcare, three or four pain pills is probably all they need, there's no mechanism to actually prescribe that," said Governor Baker.

However, while opioid deaths declined by 8% in 2017, fentanyl-related deaths continue to rise.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group