The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission is awarding more than 100 organizations with more than $34 million in grant money in its largest settlement fund distribution yet.
The commission’s job is to distribute the state’s more than $900 million in opioid settlement funds. It has allocated more than $85 million to 130 organizations, according to its website.
Speaking in Lexington, Attorney General Russell Coleman called the settlement funds “blood money.”
“What we spend, what we announce — it is blood money to those that have lost their sons and their daughters,” Coleman said.
Grant recipients for 2026-2027 include:
- $800,000 to Volunteers of America MidStates to support Recovery Community Center operations in Pulaski, Lincoln, and Calloway counties to deliver peer support, education and outreach, and recovery services.
- $750,000 to the Franklin County Health Department.
- $748, 576 to Recovery Cafe Lexington, Inc.for work in Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Whitely and Harlan Counties.
- $648,674 to the Kentucky Pharmacists Association to provide medications for opioid use disorder in jails in Greenup, Marion, and Mason Counties.
- $631,323 to KVC Behavioral Healthcare Kentucky, Inc. for the Elevate Mothers and Build Addiction Recovery in Kentucky program to support pregnant mothers in Boyd, Perry, Letcher, Greenup and Pike Counties.
- $600,000 to Kentucky Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs for work in Barren, Warren, Daviess, Harlan and Jefferson Counties.
- $553,864 to Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Inc. in Jefferson and Oldham Counties.
- $500,000 to Northern Kentucky Area Development District for efforts in Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Grant and Pendleton Counties.
- $500,000 to Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education (Operation UNITE) in Pulaski, Martin, Lawrence, Russell and Madison Counties.
- $500,000 to Oxford House, Inc. to support access to safe, peer-led recovery housing and enhance recovery supports in Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Boone and Campbell Counties.
- And more. Read the list of the latest round of grantees here.
Attorney General Russell Coleman on April 22, 2026. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd)
The latest drug overdose fatality report showed a decrease in overdose deaths for the third year in a row, though 1,410 people still died in 2024.
“That’s an improvement. But for the 1,410 families who still have an empty chair in their house, last year was not a win,” Coleman said. “This is a moving target. We do not rest on our laurels. We are not there yet by a long, long shot, and that’s why we are investing these dollars in a wise fashion.”
In 2023, Kentucky had 1,984 overdose deaths, which was a decrease from the 2,135 lost in 2022.
Black Kentuckians also saw a decrease in 2024, a reversal from previous years. In 2024, 170 Black Kentuckians died from a drug overdose, a decrease from 259 in 2022 and 264 in 2023.
What to do in the event of an overdose
Experts recommend people — especially those who are at higher risk of overdosing — keep Narcan on them so they can help reverse an overdose if they come across one.
A person can’t use Narcan on themselves, but they can share it with their loved ones, who can use it to try to save them in the case of an overdose.
Signs of an overdose include:
- Labored breathing or not breathing at all
- Unresponsiveness
- Blue or gray lips or nails
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Pale or clammy skin
If you think someone is overdosing, here’s what experts say to do:
- First, call 911 so help is on the way.
- Try speaking to the person. For example, say: “I believe you might be overdosing, and I am going to administer Narcan.”
- Take your knuckles and rake them over the person’s chest. This may also elicit a response.
- If the person isn’t responsive, administer Narcan.
A box of Narcan comes with user instructions, which include these rescue steps:
- Put the person on their back.
- Tilt the person’s head back.
- Insert the Narcan nozzle into one of the person’s nostrils.
- Press the plunger and then remove the nozzle from the nose.
- If the person doesn’t respond, in two minutes, repeat the process.
- Stay with the person until emergency medical staff arrive.
Help is available to Kentuckians living with addiction. For resources, visit https://findhelpnow.org/ky. In physical emergencies, call 911. For mental health crises, call or text 988. Locate free Naloxone (Narcan), which can reverse overdoses, near you here.
