Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron visited with community leaders and citizens on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at the Welcome Center.

“Part of the reason I’m here today is to say thank you, but also to let you know your encouragement, support and your prayers … we are grateful for those,” Cameron said. “Just like you’ve been dealing and navigating COVID-19 and other challenges, we’ve also had some challenges we’ve been contending with in Frankfort.”

Cameron spoke on a couple different topics during his brief stay in Albany and one of those was the opioid epidemic.

In Kentucky, there were 1,964 individuals who lost their lives due to opioids last year.

“Here in Clinton I think there were seven individuals,” Cameron said. “It has hit every county hard. The silver lining is this global settlement I talked about a few weeks ago. Because of that settlement, Kentucky ultimately has the opportunity to get $482 million.”

Cameron said this is due to the legislature being able to pass House Bill 427.

“It essentially says when that $482 million comes to Kentucky we have a road map as to where that money will go,” Cameron said. “Fifty percent of that money will go into the Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee. The other fifty percent, which I’m excited about, will go straight to the counties and cities.”

When asked when Clinton County might receive some of these funds, Cameron said it could be sometime at the beginning or the middle of next year that those dollars could be coming into Kentucky.