Federal agency cuts Narcan grant to Lexington, city assessing impact

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A federal grant that helped pay for Narcan supplies and distribution efforts in Lexington has been cut, according to a release from Mayor Linda Gorton’s office.

City officials say the $499,000 grant, operated by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, was terminated Tuesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

According to the release, the funding was primarily used to purchase Narcan — about 8,000 doses — along with covering the salaries of two employees who helped distribute the medication. Narcan is used to reverse opioid overdoses.

Through the grant, the city provided Narcan to a wide range of groups, including the Health Department, first responders, faith-based organizations, neighborhoods, and mental health facilities.

“Like other agencies in Fayette County, we just found out about this,” Gorton said in the release. “We are looking into it, and still assessing the impact here.”

City officials say they were notified Tuesday evening that the grant was being immediately terminated. In its letter, SAMHSA stated that it may end a federal award “to the extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

The grant was awarded to Lexington in October 2025. According to the release, most of the funding had not yet been spent.