Overdose Deaths In Maryland Accelerated During The Pandemic

More than 2,700 Marylanders died from fatal drug and alcohol overdoses last year--a record death toll forced up by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Steve Schuh, director of the Opioid Operational Command Center, says state and local agencies have been working around the pandemic’s hurdles to keep providing treatment: "We’re using telehealth, we’re using mail-order distribution of naloxone, and we are allowing people who are on medication assisted treatment to obtain 30 days' worth of their medication, so they don’t have to return to the medical practice to obtain refills.” Schuh describes who is at greatest risk, and how Maryland is coordinating its response to this alarming increase. Read the OOCC's 2020 Annual Report here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472