BUFFALO, N.Y. — Another $500,000 has been awarded to Erie County to help fight the opioid epidemic.
U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins said Friday that the federal grant will provide training for first responders on Narcan use and overdose recognition. He said the goal is to make sure the county, and all first responders, have the resources to help people.
"We want to reduce the number of opioid deaths in Erie County and Western New York. In 2021 we had 286, and we're on track to have more this year," Higgins said Friday.
Overdose deaths in Erie County have risen each year, since the start of the COVID pandemic, reversing a previous downward trend.
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