The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission held their first meeting in Frankfort Tuesday. The eleven-member body was established during the last legislative session. Its goal is to administer the settlement the Commonwealth received from opioid companies.
Bryan Hubbard is the chair and executive director of the commission. He said the 483-million-dollars will be split in half.
“Half the money will be under the auspices of the commission and the commission’s responsibility, as defined by the legislature, is to award grants to organizations and individuals who are going to be engaged in work related to both opioid abuse disorder as well as all the consequences associated with it,” Hubbard said.
The other half will be administered to cities and counties, based on population, opioid utilization, and deaths. He said it is vital Kentucky have a commission such as this.
“This problem has been devastating to every single county, city and community in the state. There is a sense of desperation within our people here to do whatever is necessary to get this fixed.”
Hubbard thinks the first meeting went well but they are still early in the process and there is a lot of work to be done.
