Big Sky Times

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte announced an investment of up to $400,000 to provide low-cost, life-saving resources across the state in response to the fentanyl and opioid crisis attributed to the Biden-Harris border policy.

The Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BHSFG) Commission recommended this investment as part of a broader $300 million funding initiative secured by the governor last year to reform Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities services systems.

“Montana continues to be hard hit as a result of the Biden-Harris border policy, which has invited drug cartels to overrun the United States,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While Biden and Harris sit on their hands, Montana is taking action to save lives and protect Montanans from drug overdoses. I’m grateful to the Commission for this life-saving recommendation.”

The one-time funding will be used to install 24 Wellness Kiosks throughout the state, which will dispense fentanyl testing strips and naloxone. These kiosks will be placed at community-based programs such as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness and Drop-in Centers, which are low-barrier access points offering individualized supports.

In 2022, Montana recorded 95 fentanyl overdoses, marking its highest number on record. Prior to 2020, the state averaged about eight deaths per year. In 2023, there were 123 fatal opioid overdoses in Montana—the highest since tracking began in 2009—and 93 fatal fentanyl overdoses.

Additionally, there were 969 opioid overdose-related 911 responses by ground-transporting EMS agencies in 2023—an average of 81 per month. Naloxone was used in approximately 40 percent of these cases with improved responses observed in 81 percent of patients who received it.

“Naloxone has proven to be remarkably effective in reversing opioid overdoses,” Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton said. “However, this tool has been underutilized in Montana to date. Our cost-effective, proactive initiative will expand access to naloxone with the ultimate goal of saving lives.”

The kiosks will also feature testing strips capable of detecting fentanyl in various drugs. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, more than three million fentanyl pills were seized in 2023—a significant increase from previous years—in a region that includes Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming.

Since President Biden took office in January 2021, over ten million illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Governor Gianforte has taken several steps responding to what he describes as failures by the Biden administration:

On May 22, 2023, Gov. Gianforte signed House Bill 872 into law—a $300 million investment aimed at reforming Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities services systems as part of his Budget for Montana Families initiative.

More information about the commission's work can be found on the Future Generations Page.