LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas officials have been monitoring the state's opioid epidemic for years — a silent killer that has terrorized the lives of many.
According to Arkansas Drug Director Tom Fisher, the state has recorded an increase in fentanyl and methamphetamine deaths in the last five years.
"The opioid-involved autopsies that we looked at were an 85% increase," Fisher said. "Even deeper into fentanyl specific, or what we would like to refer to as fentanyl, involved overdoses; it was 156% increase."
That's why officials are working to catch the issue early. The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership and CADCA collaborated to provide seven coalitions with the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant.
"To see seven of these 10 coalitions funded is a significant impact not only to the communities they serve, but for the state of Arkansas," Fisher said. "Now you have supplemental funding from the US government that will go directly into those communities to fight those problems that are directly affecting those communities."
Through the grant, each coalition will receive an annual $125,000 grant, which will aid preventative efforts to limit youth substance use.
ARORP Director Tenesha Barnes said coalitions that lacked resources and showed signs of increased youth substance use numbers are what they considered when deciding which coalition would receive part of the $4.4 million dollar grant.
"They don't have access to treatment, they don't have beds," Fisher said. "They don't have a lot of detox facilities. They just don't have those things."
Here's a complete list below of the counties selected for the 2024 grants:
- Baxter County:
- Prevention-Awareness-Youth-Support (PAYS) Coalition | Mountain Home, Ark.
- Sebastian County:
- Sebastian County Opioid Task Force | Fort Smith, Ark.
- Mississippi County:
- Opioid Prescription Drug and Synthetics Coalition (O.P.P.S.) | Blytheville, Ark.
- Newton County
- Newton County Partners in Prevention Coalition | Jasper, Ark.
- Greene County:
- Greene County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition | Paragould, Ark.
- Chicot County:
- Amazing Angels Coalition | Lake Village, Ark.
- Carroll County:
- Carroll County Hometown Health Coalition | Green Forest, Ark.
In return, each group must create community initiatives to educate the youth about the opioid crisis and continue prevention efforts like providing naloxone and starting support groups.
"That's why we have the Arkansas prevention needs assessment that's going around in every school, from six to eight to 12th graders, and what they're doing is telling us what is happening in their schools and in their homes and in their communities," Barnes said. "It teaches us the risk factors that are happening around them."
Applications will open again in March next year. To learn more about how to apply, click here.