FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 2, 2023) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron continued his fight against the opioid epidemic by holding an “Operation Fight Fentanyl” forum in Henderson County. He was joined by a panel of law enforcement, prosecutor, legislative, first responder, and community partners.
“Every death caused by opioids represents the loss of someone’s child, someone’s neighbor, someone’s friend, and it must stop,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Our office has been working diligently to combat this scourge on many fronts. In addition to securing nearly $900 million in settlement funds and announcing more than $18 million in grant funding for organizations committed to combating the opioid epidemic, we are also engaging with communities, like Henderson, to discuss ideas to combat this crisis.”
In February, Attorney General Cameron launched Operation Fight Fentanyl to hear directly from Kentuckians affected by fentanyl and discuss possible solutions to combat this crisis. Since then, Attorney General Cameron has held events in Kenton, Pendleton, Whitley, Simpson, Greenup, Martin, and Leslie Counties.
“As a prosecutor, I’ve seen the pain fentanyl has inflicted on this community firsthand,” said Henderson County Attorney Steve Gold. “The importance of today’s conversation can’t be overstated. I’m thankful to Attorney General Cameron for collaborating with our community to push back against the opioid epidemic.”
Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest report, nearly 70,000 people died from overdose of synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, in the 12-month period ending in August 2022. Preliminary numbers indicate that the Commonwealth lost 2,127 Kentuckians to overdose in 2022. In years past, fentanyl has contributed to more than 70 percent of these deaths.
“Fentanyl is hurting every man, woman and child in this Commonwealth,” said Bryan Hubbard, Executive Director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. “A crisis of such magnitude can only be solved by collective action, and I’m grateful for the work Attorney General Cameron has done to build a coalition big enough to make this poison a remnant of a bygone era of abuse.”
Attorney General Cameron has secured nearly $900 million in settlement funds from pharmacies, and opioid distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers.
Last week, Attorney General Cameron announced over $8 million in grant funding to 24 opioid abatement programs in the Commonwealth. The grants will be awarded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, within the Attorney General’s office, and will assist Kentucky organizations in combatting the opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment, or recovery services.
Last September, Attorney General Cameron urged President Biden to classify fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction. In February, he called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate certain Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Last month, he sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Department of Justice to take immediate action to meaningfully address the fentanyl crisis.
To learn more about Operation Fight Fentanyl, click here.
Comments