The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council has awarded $11 million to 24 organizations and local governments in its most competitive infrastructure funding round to date, expanding opioid treatment, recovery, and prevention services across the state. The funding comes from more than $912 million in opioid settlement dollars secured by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office from manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid epidemic. These awards are part of the 10% of Colorado’s opioid settlement funds dedicated to infrastructure, under a joint agreement between the state and local governments (PDF) that ensures all funds are used to address the crisis.

“This round made clear just how urgent the need remains. Demand for funding far exceeded the available dollars, and the strength of the applications we received underscores the extraordinary work happening across Colorado. Unfortunately, we were not able to fund all the compelling and worthy projects. Moreover, the lack of funding and leadership at the federal level in this area—and, indeed, the painful cuts to social services—is fueling unmet needs, is irresponsible, and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. We will continue to do the best we can by investing these settlement funds into real results that save lives.” -AG Weiser