LANSING - Governor Whitmer announced on Monday that $80 million in federal funding will be allocated to respond to the opioid crisis.

The funding includes $36.4 million from the new state opioid response grant (SOR II) ad $43.1 million from the current state opioid response (SOR I) grant. The money will support prevention, treatment and harm reduction services with a focus on evidence-based practices which save lives.

Opioid overdoses have killed 8,000 Michigan residents. In 2018, five people died on average every day from opioid overdoes and the crisis has gotten worse during the pandemic. Emergency calls for opioid overdoses were 22% higher from April 2020 to July 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

“The opioid epidemic has devastated families across Michigan, and we must continue to do everything we can to end it. This funding will help prevent more opioid deaths and help those struggling with addiction recover,” said Governor Whitmer. “I will continue working closely with Dr. Joneigh Khaldun and members of the Michigan Opioids Task Force to keep Michiganders safe.”

Michigan’s opioid crisis response is supported by federal grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.

“Opioid overdose continues to be an ongoing crisis in Michigan and MDHHS is acting with utmost urgency to expand services that save lives, including medications to treat opioid use disorder and naloxone, the life-saving opioid reversal medication,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health at MDHHS. “We urge local governments, health providers, law enforcement and organizations around the state to partner with us in this vital mission.”

SOR I and SOR II grant will help the state invest in more effective tools to reduce overdose deaths which include widespread naloxone distribution and the expansion of medication to treat opioid use disorder.