OKLAHOMA CITY (June 4, 2024) – The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board has awarded $11 million in grants to 71 cities, counties, school districts, and public trusts to address the state's opioid crisis. Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced that this is the first distribution by the board. An additional 31 applicants have been invited to resubmit incomplete or non-compliant applications.
The grants will support treatment and recovery programs, co-occurring disorder assistance, mental health initiatives, opioid abuse education and prevention, proper prescription practices, and strategies to reduce narcotic supply statewide.
"Today the board took an important step in providing resources to tackle the terrible crisis we are seeing across our state when it comes to fentanyl and other deadly opioids," Drummond stated. "I am also pleased we will have the opportunity to offer additional grants once applications that did not meet the grant criteria are resubmitted."
The largest grant of $700,000 was awarded jointly to the City of Tulsa and Tulsa Public Schools for coordinated opioid abatement services involving the Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa Police Department, and Healthy Minds Policy Initiative nonprofit. The Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity will oversee these funds.
Other notable grants include $300,000 to Comanche County Hospital Authority for a women’s and children’s program for opioid-affected families; $150,000 to MetroTech for expanding existing opioid abatement initiatives; and $75,000 to Woodward County for opioid abuse education targeting middle and high school students.
Grant recipients are expected to receive funds upon returning their award agreements.
In 2022, nearly 800 opioid-related deaths occurred in Oklahoma according to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Fentanyl accounted for 619 of these fatal overdoses.
Approved grant recipients include:
Counties:
Adair County
Cherokee County
Cleveland County
Creek County
Kingfisher County
Leflore County
Lincoln County
Mayes County
Muskogee County
Oklahoma County
Okmulgee County
Payne County
Pontotoc County
Seminole County
Tulsa County
Wagoner County
Woodward County
Cities:
Bartlesville
Bixby
Edmond
Lawton
Lone Grove
Muskogee
Norman
Okmulgee
Pryor Creek
Shawnee
Stilwell
Tahlequah
School Districts:
Bartlesville
Bethany
Checotah
Comanche
Dickson
Edmond
Guthrie
Guymon
Hillsdale
Jenks
Keys
Lindsay
Marietta
Maysville
Metro Technology Centers
Moore
Mosely
Norman
Pawhuska
Perkins-Tryon
Purcell
Sand Springs
Shawnee
South Coffeyville
Stigler
Stillwater
Stillwell
Tishomingo
Union
Warner
Western Heights
Westville
Trusts:
Cardinal Point Public Trust
Comanche County Memorial Hospital Authority
Grady Memorial Hospital Authority
McAlester Regional Health Center Authority
Norman Regional Hospital Authority
Southwestern Oklahoma Development Authority
Tahlequah Hospital Authority
Joint Applications:
Jackson County and City of Altus
Rogers County and City of Claremore
City of Tulsa and Tulsa Public Schools
Applicants invited to resubmit include:
Counties:
Hughes County
Haskell County
Larimer County
McCurtain county
Osage county
Pittsburg county
Multi-county coalition:
Beckham county
Caddo county
Comanche county
Cotton county
Custer county
Grady county
Greer county
Harmon county
Jefferson county
Kiowa county
Stephens county
Tilman county
Cities:
Gore
Guymon
Haileyville
Hartshorne
Hugo
Ponca city
Savanna
Slaughterville
Warr acres
School Districts:
Lawton
Northwest Technology Center
Owasso
Joint Application:
Broken Arrow Public Schools and City of Broken Arrow