As more revenue is generated to combat the opioid crisis among adults, a diminishing amount of money is going toward established programs dealing with less-threatening forms of substance abuse.
Serving as the hub in the grant-awarding process for drug abuse prevention work, the Bartholomew County Substance Abuse Council is providing 14 grants to a dozen local organizations this year.
With one grant application denied among 15 submitted, the total amount being awarded is $38,773, representing 26 percent less than what had been requested.
The denial was for a local elementary school that wanted funds to provide red ribbons for the annual Red Ribbon Week in October, which promotes drug abuse prevention. Another resource was secured to pay for that grant, said Larry Perkinson, a Substance Abuse Council member and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.’s employee and student assistance coordinator.
Details on this year’s grant recipients were provided in separate presentations made by Perkinson to the Bartholomew County Commissioners and the Bartholomew County Council. Both groups approved the grant funding decisions recommended by the Substance Abuse Council.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
