US Attorneys Announce Over $6 Million in Grants to Combat Addiction Crisis

MADISON, WIS. – United States Attorneys Matthew D. Krueger and Scott C. Blader announced awards of $6,472,018 in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction in Wisconsin. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.

“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”

Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.

“As a United States Attorney and former District Attorney, I know the devastation caused by opioids, methamphetamine, and other addictive drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Blader.  “These grants will fund critical investigation, treatment and prevention resources throughout Wisconsin.”

“The threats posed by illicit drugs continue to evolve,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger.  “Increasingly, synthetic opioids like fentanyl are mixed with other drugs to create lethal combinations, and methamphetamine use is on the rise.  These grants underscore the Justice Department’s commitment to help state and local partners to meet this epidemic with prevention, treatment, and enforcement efforts.”