https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/16/opioid-overdoses-have-skyrocketed-amid-the-coronavirus-but-states-are-nevertheless-slashing-addiction-treatment-program-budgets/?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=650b242a64-MR_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-650b242a64-149692869

Inside STAT: States slash addiction treatment budgets, even as overdoses spike

HYPODERMIC NEEDLES LITTER THE GROUND IN THE SOUTH BRONX ON MARCH 13, 2019 IN NEW YORK CITY. (SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES)

Even as the U.S. reports skyrocketing rates of opioid overdoses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, states are still moving forward with plans to slash their budgets for opioid crisis programs. Some states such as Colorado and Florida had already cut millions from programs to combat substance use disorders, and the economic effects of the pandemic have other states poised to follow suit. These budget cuts are likely to hurt behavioral health services at a moment when they're most needed, experts tell STAT's Amy Sokolow. “It was already a significant issue for cities to support this. Post-Covid, you have higher rates of opioid use and overdoses and less resources,” Sue Polis, director of health and wellness for the National League of Cities, says. Read more here.