September is National Recovery Month, which raises awareness about how treatment and mental health services can help those addicted to drugs or alcohol to have fulfilling lives.

As the month kicked off last week, Pennsylvania received good news in the form of $81 million in federal funding over the next three years to fight the opioid crisis.

The funding, which is in the form of grants from two federal programs as part of a $1.8 billion package from the Trump administration, will go toward expanding access to treatment and preventing overdose deaths.

This is great news for Butler County, which has been at the forefront of the opioid crisis and can use all the help it can get.

Drug-related deaths peaked in Butler County in 2017 with 92 fatal overdoses, but that number was chopped in half in 2018.

Data from the state’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs found there was an 18 percent decrease in overdose deaths statewide in 2018, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted a 3.4 percent drop in overdose deaths nationwide from January 2018 to January 2019 based on preliminary data.

But Butler County shouldn’t rest on its laurels.

In 2019, there already have been 36 fatal overdoses in the county. Last year’s triumph soon will be overshadowed as the number of fatalities rises and is likely to see an increase for the year.

The federal funding announced last week will go toward data collection on overdose deaths, additional naloxone training for first responders, education for opioid prescribers and increased collaboration between county and municipal health departments.

Meanwhile, county groups are taking action to educate residents about addiction and the road to recovery.

On Saturday, a number of groups — including the Empty Chair Campaign and Action in Recovery — took part in the inaugural Recovery Month Gathering at Butler Farmers Market.

Jason Beckwith, a certified recovery specialist who founded Action in Recovery, said the event’s aim was to “remove (addiction’s) stigma to enable people to get help” and make people in recovery feel better about themselves.

Both the federal funding to combat the opioid crisis and local efforts to help people struggling with addiction couldn’t come at a better time.

Last year, it appeared the county turned a corner in its battle with the opioid crisis. We can’t let that trend go back in the wrong direction.

While an influx of funding can make a difference in the county’s efforts to combat the crisis, we urge county leaders to prioritize recovery every month, not just in September.