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WESTFORD — Welcome to the Feb. 12 edition of Weekend Wrap-Up. Here, we highlight the most important news you may have missed this week in Westford.
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Westford awarded $120,000 from national opioid settlements
Westford will soon receive a share of a $26 billion in national settlements to combat substance abuse as state officials begin to make funds available.
Between 2009 through September of 2021, state records show that 18,061 Massachusetts residents died from opioid-related overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Massachusetts has a 33.9% death rate regarding drugs, which is 10.2% more than the United States average.
On Jan. 5, the Opioid Settlement Funds Task Force sent a request to town manager, Jodi Ross. The selected board recommended funding $129,997.88 to support a number of expenditures, including harm reduction, reducing barriers to treatment, substance use prevention, and mental health promotion.
Use of the funding was approved on Jan. 10 and will undergo voting on March 25, during Annual Town Meeting. Ross says she is pleased with the funding.
Further resolution with opioid over-dispensing distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal and McKesson and Johnson & Johnson are expected to bring in $525 million into Massachusetts communities, according to the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Tusa
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