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Tomblin Announces Funding To Combat Substance Abuse
By: Associated Press
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says his office is allocating $1.3 million to bolster residential drug treatment facilities for women, increase detox beds for young people and adults and help law enforcement agencies stop drug diversion.
He says funding will come from lawsuit settlements with wholesale distributors that ship prescription drugs from manufacturers to pharmacies.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the announcement came as Tomblin spoke to his substance abuse task force for the final time Friday. The task force started its work in 2011, and the outgoing governor spotlighted advances in the fight against substance abuse.
He highlighted programs such as a crackdown on rogue pain clinics, the expanded use of a medication that reverses drug overdoses and the launch of a toll-free hotline for West Virginians struggling with addiction.