White house announces nearly $2 billion in grants to fight opioid epidemic

Nearly $2 billion in grants to help fight the U.S. opioid epidemic will be handed out to states and local governments, the White House says.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will provide $932 million to every state and some U.S. territories for opioid addiction treatment and recovery, the Associated Press reported.

A new, three-year program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help state and local governments better track overdose data will receive $900 million.

In the first year, 47 states and the District of Columbia will be among the jurisdictions sharing $301 million, the AP reported.