By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday that state agencies are working together to save lives and strengthen communities, as Kentucky celebrates four straight years of declines in overdose deaths.
“My administration is fighting for the inches that become the miles of progress to save more lives and protect more families from the heartbreak and pain that comes with addiction,” Beshear said. “Kentucky has been one of the states hit hardest by opioids, yet we are showing the nation what’s possible by working together. From Medicaid to supporting our recovery partners, law enforcement and more, every piece of this fight is critical to continue the progress we’re making together.”
The governor is highlighting important programs that led to the success. They include:
• Over $29 million in grant and pass-through funding from the Office of Drug Control Policy.
• 182,810 doses of Narcan were distributed.
• 82 syringe exchange program sites served 25,543 unique participants.
• More than 137,000 Kentuckians received addiction services through Medicaid;
• Over 19,100 Kentuckians received addiction treatment paid for by the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort.
• More than 29,900 Kentuckians received recovery services (housing assistance, employment services, transportation, basic need services, etc.) in their community paid for by the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort.
• 23 Kentuckians sought treatment through the Kentucky State Police Angel Initiative.
• 3,005 calls were made to the KY HELP Call Center with 19,138 outgoing follow-up calls.
• More than 52,800 school-age students participated in substance use prevention curriculum supported by the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort.
In November 2025, Beshear took action to classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I narcotic, making it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated forms of the form of kratom in the state. This followed a similar move to schedule bromazolam, or “designer Xanax,” as a Schedule I narcotic.
In September, he awarded $1.4 million in federal grants to nine state and local agencies fighting drug trafficking through the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the KY HELP Call Center at 833-8KY-HELP or visit FindHelpNowKy.org to find recovery resources near you.