Jones, Crighton Secure $50,000 In Substance Abuse Funding

A release from House Minority Leader Brad Jones:

BOSTON – The $43.1 billion Fiscal Year 2020 state budget includes a $50,000 grant to support Lynnfield’s ongoing efforts to combat substance abuse in the community.

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) worked together to secure the funding in both the House and Senate versions of the budget, and successfully advocated for its inclusion in the final conference committee report, which was released on July 21 and approved by both legislative branches on July 22. The grant will help subsidize the town’s Office of Prevention and its work with A Healthy Lynnfield, the town’s substance abuse prevention coalition formed in 2017.

This is the second year in a row that Jones and Crighton were able to secure a substance abuse grant for Lynnfield. Funding included in last year’s budget allowed the town to establish the Office of Prevention and hire Peg Sallade to oversee the office as its Director of Prevention in November of 2018.

Lynnfield officials had planned to apply for additional funding this year through the federal Drug Free America grant program, but the application process for the program was recently placed on hold by the federal government, with no set timetable announced for when it will re-open.

“Peg Sallade and the members of A Healthy Lynnfield have been doing a tremendous job working to address the opioid crisis through prevention efforts and raising awareness in the community,” said Representative Jones. “With the federal funding option on hold, this state grant will help to ensure that the important work being done to protect local youth and young adults from opioid abuse will continue.”

“It’s been great to work with Representative Jones to secure this funding,” said Senator Crighton. “The opioid crisis is hitting every community regardless of age, race and economic status. The work that Ms. Sallade and A Healthy Lynnfield is doing is truly lifesaving and we will continue to work to get them the resources they need to continue this fight.”

The budget is now on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk. He has 10 days to review the budget and issue any vetoes.