Republican Gov. Matt Bevin said beginning Dec. 1 anyone needing help battling opioid addiction in Kentucky can call 833-8KY-HELP, or 833-859-4357. People who call will be connected to social workers and other programs to help with addiction.
The call center will be staffed by six people, plus a supervisor. A person will answer the phone from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Any other time, people can leave a message. Bevin said he is in talks with a large corporation to donate another $500,000 to keep the help line staffed all the time.
More than 1,400 people died from drug overdoses in Kentucky last year. Most of those were from opioids.
