Pennsylvania

Tom Wolf Tackles Leading Cause of Accidental Death in Pennsylvania, Opioid Addiction

Gov. Tom Wolf hit the road to talk about the state's efforts to fight opioid addiction in Pennsylvania.

Wolf attended news conferences in Harrisburg and Allentown on Monday as he discussed $20 million in new funding.

Lawmakers approved $10 million in behavioral health funds and $5 million in Medicaid funding, which allows the state to draw another $5 million in federal funds.

Wolf's office says the first phase of the money enables the Department of Human Services to create 20 programs to treat approximately 4,500 people and connect them with therapy and job-finding assistance.

It is still determining how many additional programs the Medicaid money can fund.

The governor's office says heroin and opioid overdose are the leading cause of accidental death in Pennsylvania.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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