AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine has received $2.3 million to target the opioid crisis.

The federal government has released $500 million of $1.5 million in state opioid response grants. The remaining $1 billion will be released in September.

A 2018 analysis by The Associated Press found states have taken different approaches to spending initial allotments under the 21st Century Cures Act grant program through last April.

The analysis found Maine and other states that hadn't expanded Medicaid directed most of the first wave of federal money on treatment, which Medicaid covers. Other states used more on prevention or recovery.

Maine ranked 8th in 2017 for opioid overdose deaths. Maine saw 282 drug overdoses in the first three quarters of 2018. That's slightly down from 297 in the same period in 2017.

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