LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky's Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission awarded nearly $34 million in grants to more than 100 organizations Thursday, marking the largest single disbursement in the state's effort to combat the ongoing drug crisis.

The money comes from settlements with pharmaceutical companies involved in the opioid epidemic, with Attorney General Russell Coleman announcing the awards at the Woodhill Community Center in Lexington. Coleman described the settlement funds as "blood money," referencing the 1,410 Kentuckians who died from drug overdoses in 2024 despite a three-year downward trend in fatalities.

"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 at the announcement.

The grants were approved in three categories: Treatment and Recovery, Prevention, and Research and Innovation, with the commission awarding more than $3.6 million in six grants specifically for research-focused initiatives. This represents a new focus area the commission added at Coleman's urging to keep Kentucky on the cutting edge of addiction treatment.

Organizations receiving funding include the Lexington Leadership Foundation, which received $231,526 for its Fatherhood Initiative, and recovery housing provider Oxford House, Inc., which received $500,000 to support peer-led recovery housing in Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Boone and Campbell counties. Other major awards included $648,674 to the Kentucky Pharmacists Association for medication programs in jails and $631,323 to KVC Behavioral Healthcare Kentucky for support of pregnant mothers.

Since its creation by the General Assembly in 2021, the commission has invested more than $100 million in Kentucky communities. Kentucky receives $1 billion from the settlements with corporations deemed liable for the drug crisis, with the other half of recovered funds distributed to cities and counties by formula.

Coleman emphasized that while Kentucky leads other states in deploying settlement funds to communities, the epidemic continues to pose significant challenges. More than 17,980 Kentuckians received recovery services including housing assistance, employment services and transportation paid for through the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, yet rates of opioid use disorder remain among the highest in the nation.

"I'm deeply grateful we have the opportunity to turn the pain of the drug crisis into progress. We owe it to every family affected to use these resources responsibly," Coleman said.