April 19, 2021
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AG
Ford encourages local governments to work together to fight the opioid epidemic
Carson
City, NV – Today, Attorney
General Aaron D. Ford encouraged local governments to work together with each
other and the state to use their opioid settlement monies to fight the opioids
epidemic. The recent opioids awards come from Nevada’s share of the settlements
with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the three largest opioid
distributors through the One Nevada Agreement on Allocation of Opioid
Recoveries.
“Because Nevada
secured money from these opioid settlements, local Nevada communities will be
able to put funding — this year — toward desperately needed programs and
services to begin to abate this crisis,” said AG Ford. “The funds will
reach those who are most in need of assistance as opioid-related deaths
continue to rise in our state.”
The opioid
settlement monies have come to Nevada at a critical time, as the state reported
a 55%increase in opioid-related deaths between 2019 and 2020. According to the
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, accidental overdose deaths among
Nevadans rose from 510 in 2019 to 788 in 2020. From 2010 to 2020, the number of
opioid-related overdose deaths increased by 24%, and the rate per 100,000
Nevada residents for opioid related deaths increased from 16.2% to 17.2%.
Last year, the state,
along with all Nevada counties and litigating cities, came to an agreement on
the intrastate allocation of funds from opioid-related recoveries. The One
Nevada Agreement provides a plan for how funds from any Nevada opioid-related
settlement will be allocated among the State and various local governmental entities
in order to reduce the impacts of the opioid epidemic in the State. While the
counties and litigating cities will be receiving separate allocations under the
One Nevada Agreement, many understand the need to fight he opioid epidemic with
a regional approach.
The State and
each signatory to the One Nevada Agreement will receive, before costs, an
approximate total of $71,131,949.69 in 2022. The Department of Health and Human
Services divides the state into five regions. Those regions’ monetary allocations
are below.
Clark County Behavioral Region
Clark County is
the state’s most populous region with a population of 2.267 million in 2019. Clark
County, along with the litigating cities of Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas,
Mesquite and North Las Vegas, will receive approximately $26,311,995.82 as a
result of the settlements.
In 2020, 542 Clark County residents died from
unintentional opioid overdose. Opioid prescription rates were 72.2 per 100
people in 2017.
Washoe County Behavioral Region
Washoe County,
along with the litigating cities of Reno and Sparks, will receive approximately
$3,739,298.51 as a result of the settlements.
In 2020, 166 Washoe County residents died from
unintentional opioid overdose. Opioid prescription rates were 87.4 per 100 people
in 2017.Washoe County is the state’s second most populous region with a
population of 486,492 in 2020.
Northern Nevada Behavioral Region –
Carson City, Douglas County, Lyon County, Storey County and Churchill County
The Northern
Nevada Behavioral Region includes the counties of Douglas, Lyon, Storey, and
Churchill, along with Carson City, Fernley, and the Central and North Lyon Fire
Districts, will receive approximately $2,028,043.79 as a result of the
settlements.
In 2020, 37
individuals in the Northern Nevada Behavioral region died as a result of opioid
related deaths.
Most recent county-specific
data shows that 13 out of every 100,000 Carson City residents died from an
opioid overdose in 2017. Opioid prescription rates were 91.1 per 100 people. Carson
City has a population of 58,639 in 2020.
Four out of every
100,000 Douglas County residents
died from an opioid overdose death in 2017. Opioid prescription rates were 91.1
per 100 people in 2017. Douglas County has a population of 49,488 in 2020.
In 2017, 14 out
of every 100,000 Lyon County
residents died from an opioid overdose. The opioid prescription rate was 129.9
per 100 people in 2017. Lyon County has a population of 59,207 in 2020.
In 2017, no Storey County residents were reported
as dying from an opioid overdose even though its opioid prescription rate was
146.9 per 100 people. Storey County has a population of 4,265 in 2020.
Four out of every
100,000 Churchill County residents
died from an opioid overdose in 2017. That same year, the opioid prescription
rate was 98 per 100 people. Churchill County has a population of 25,516 in
2020.
Rural Nevada Behavioral Region – Humboldt
County, Pershing County, Lander County, Eureka County, White Pine County and
Elko County
The Rural Nevada Behavioral
Region, including the counties of Humboldt, Pershing, Lander, Eureka, White Pine
and Elko, along with litigating cities Ely and West Wendover, will receive
approximately $1,386,257.91 as a result of the settlements.
Seven
people died from unintentional opioid overdose in the Rural Nevada behavioral
district in 2020.This was a 250% increase from 2019, in which two people died
from unintentional opioid overdose.
In
2017, the opioid overdose death rate in Humboldt
County was two per 100,000
residents. That same year, the opioid prescription rate was 66.7 per 100 people. The population of Humboldt County was 16,831 in 2019..
Pershing County’s opioid prescription rate was 69.4
per 100 people in 2017. The opioid overdose death rate was one per 100,000
residents in Pershing County in 2017. The population of Pershing County was 6,615
in 2019.
Lander
County’s prescription
rate was 76.7 per 100 people in 2017. The population of Lander
County was 5,643 in 2019.
Eureka
County’s prescription
rate 85.6 per 100 people in 2017. Eureka County’s population
was 2,029 in 2019.
The prescription
rate in White Pine County was 99.9
per 100 people in 2017.The
opioid overdose death rate was three per 100,000 residents that same year. White
Pine County’s population was 9,679 in 2019.
In 2017, Elko County’s
prescription rate was 63.3 per 100
people. That same year, its opioid
overdose death rate was three per 100,000 residents. Elko County’s population
was 52,778 in 2019.
Southern Nevada Behavioral Region –
Mineral County, Esmeralda County, Nye County and Lincoln County
The Southern
Nevada Behavioral Region, including the counties of Mineral, Esmeralda, Nye,
and Lincoln, will receive approximately $853,880.51 as a result of the
settlements.
In
2020, approximately 20 people died from unintentional opioid overdoses in the
Southern Nevada behavioral region. This was a 122.2%increase from 2019, in
which nine people died from unintentional opioid overdoses.
Mineral County’s prescription rate in 2017 was 158.1
per 100 people. The population of Mineral County was 4,460 in 2019.
Esmeralda County’s prescription rate was 57.0 per 100 people in 2017. The
estimated population of Esmeralda County was 969 in 2019.
Nye County’s prescription
rate in 2017 was 155.6 per 100 people. That same year the opioid overdose
death rate was eight out of 100,000 Nye County residents. The population of Nye
County was 46,523 in 2019.
Lincoln County’s prescription rate was 84.6 per 100 people in 2017. The population of Lincoln County was 5,180 in
2019.
In 2021, Governor
Steve Sisolak signed Senate Bill 390 (SB 390) into law. This legislation created
the Nevada Resilient Fund, which directs State recoveries to fund
evidence-based programs through the Nevada Department of Health and Human
Services. SB 390 requires the state to create a State Needs Assessment which
identifies the critical needs for attacking the impacts and effects of opioids
statewide, and a State Plan for funding the needs assessment. SB 390 also
creates a mechanism for the state, counties and cities to work together in
developing county needs assessments and county plans that parallel the State
Needs Assessment and State Plan to bring expertise to all areas of the state
and maximize the use of all funds available to combat the opioids epidemic
through programs and services. The State Needs Assessment is expected to be
released at the end of April 2022.
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