KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Cash from a multi-million dollar opioid settlement is starting to flow into South Carolina, and now counties are preparing to spend it.
It has to be used exclusively for remediating the impacts of the opioid epidemic.
Kershaw County is ready to use the first money to battle the epidemic that may officials are saying are plaguing the county.
"We have seen an, unfortunately, increase in opioid overdoses and death, what we are seeing is individuals dying of the fentanyl when they we're attempting to use another substance," says the director of the ALPHA Behavioral Health Center, Mara Jones.
"Currently Kershaw County roughly has $591,000 in funding that we can apply for in the governmental subdivision, we applied for $341,000 and we have received them," she adds.
The money will be utilized through different programs in order to combat and reduce substance use but the biggest issue the area faces is drugs laced with fentanyl says the local coroner.
According to Kershaw County Coroners' Office in 2018 37% of drug deaths were related to fentanyl, so far in 2023 fentanyl is to blame for 85.71% of all drug deaths in the county.
"The goal for part of this funding is to get more Narcan and education into the hands of every community member in order to be able to revive somebody if there is an overdose, and the program for the score funds is looking at hiring a project director, and that person will do be doing a needs assessment with other agencies, in order to find out some of the strategies we have for combating opioids, finding out who all is willing in order to be apart of the team and we also want to integrate more of the faith-based community into the project as well," she adds.
They also plan to put more boots on the ground by creating internships and a media campaign.
The Alpha Center also offers free Narcan and fentanyl testing strips.