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Bloomberg Philanthropies contributes $10 million to combat Michingan opioid epidemic

The state of Michigan ranks eighth across the country in the number of opioid deaths each year.
One organization is helping to combat the problem.

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced this week that it would contribute $10 million in an effort to address the opioid epidemic in Michigan. Founder of the organization, Michael Bloomberg, refers to the epidemic as a national emergency.

The state of Michigan experienced a 14 percent increase in drug deaths between 2016 and 2017, mostly related to opioids. The drugs cause more than 130 deaths per day in the U.S., outpacing car accidents, which are responsible for about 100 deaths per day.

Bloomberg says his organization’s goal is to support the Whitmer administration with resources that can save more lives.