A grant from the state Department of Mental Health will be used locally to inform and educate residents in Limestone, Morgan and Lawrence counties about the dangers of opioid abuse.

The Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama announced Monday it had received $58,750 to be used for outreach efforts. Specific services will begin over the next few months.

Michele Moore, prevention director for the Mental Health Center, said the grant would be used in addition to existing monies provided by the state for drug and alcohol prevention services. She added those services reach thousands of children and adults each year in MHCNCA’s three-county area.

“We know that living drug-free makes for a better quality of life for the individual and their families and it makes for a healthier community,” Moore said. “An emphasis of our program is to reduce and prevent prescription and over-the-counter drug misuse and to raise community awareness about the dangers of using medications other than what they are meant for.”

Moore explained the MHCNCA hosts town hall events and partners with other groups in the community to raise awareness about the opioid crisis. Those groups include local school systems and law enforcement agencies.

A growing problem

It was announced last week that first-responders statewide would be receiving kits containing Naloxone injections to combat opioid overdoses.

More than 700 people died in Alabama due to heroin or other opioid drug overdoses in 2015, the most current statistics available. A grant is paying for 600 kits, each holding two doses and a trainer designed to teach someone how to administer the drug. Naloxone allows for the temporary reversal of an overdose, giving enough time for emergency medical personnel to arrive.