At its latest council meeting, the Town of Lexington unanimously approved a grant agreement with Lexington County to support a mobile opioid education classroom to use in schools and at community events. 

The funds will be used to prevent opioid misuse within Lexington County and will be available to law enforcement agencies throughout the county, so it is on other town and city council agendas throughout the county.

The approved agreement will allocate $432,000 in funding awarded by the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board. 

“The South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board (SCORF Board) was created by the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Act, SC Code 11-58-10 et seq., to administer and disburse the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund in accordance with the terms of In re South Carolina Opioid Litigation settlement agreements,” a public document states.

With the grant, the Lexington Police Department leaders say it will implement a prevention-focused educational curriculum, purchase and equip a mobile opioid classroom and conduct community outreach on the dangers of opioid misuse and addiction. 

The South Carolina Department of Public Health shows that in Lexington County in 2023, 107 deaths occurred from drug overdose; 82 were specifically opioid-related. 

According to a previous report from the Chronicle, 57 opioid-related deaths occurred in Lexington County in 2022. Documents also listed 46 deaths in 2021 and 39 in 2020. 

In 2019, a report by the Lexington County Coroner's Office listed 60 overdose fatalities. Of the 60 overdoses, 46 were opioid-related. 

In 2024, 183 overdose fatalities of a variety of substances were reported across Lexington and Richland counties, including 90 in Richland County and 93 in Lexington County. In 2023, 201 overdoses were reported, with 103 in Lexington County and 98 in Richland County. 

According to a public document, funds must comply with guidelines and be used for one or more of the following: 

• Naloxone or another FDA-approved drug to reverse opioid overdoses
• Medication-assisted treatment distribution and other opioid related treatment
• Pregnant and postpartum women
• Expanding treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome 
• Expansion of warm handoff programs and recovery services
• Treatment for the incarcerated population 
• Prevention programs
• Expanding syringe service programs and evidence-based data collection and research analyzing the effectiveness of the abatement strategies within the state 

All grant funds must be used by July 1, 2026.