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FEATURED
Commission to hand out anti-drug abuse funds
CHARLESTON — A new commission will help dole out $4 million in funds won from the maker of OxyContin in a statewide effort to combat drug abuse.
Gov. Joe Manchin announced Thursday that the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being will also serve as the state’s Strategic Drug Plan Commission.
The commission will advise Manchin on distributing money won by helping the federal government investigate OxyContin.
“Drug abuse damages individuals, families and entire communities, so we must remain diligent in our efforts to help those who are dealing with these problems,” Manchin said. “The Partnership, in its expanded role, will advise me in sub-granting $4 million dollars for substance abuse prevention-oriented projects. These projects will support our progress in building and maintaining a comprehensive drug abuse prevention system for West Virginia.”
Projects will include:
A statewide media campaign to address social access to prescriptions drugs.
The expansion of a controlled substances advisory workgroup.
The expansion of an epidemiological data system.
Implementation of four juvenile drug courts.
Implementation of a substance abuse early intervention program at two pilot sites.
County-level grants for the enforcement of underage drinking laws.
A statewide drug summit in 2009.
The development of residential drug recovery efforts.
The funding comes from $44.1 million won by the state as part of $634.5 million in fines paid by Purdue Pharma and three current and former executives.
The West Virginia Partnership is the state’s governor-appointed substance abuse prevention and intervention planning body and an advisory council for West Virginia's implementation of its federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant.
