Opioid Deaths Up 37 Percent From Last Year's Pace In Anne Arundel

MILLERSVILLE, MD — The pace of overdose deaths in the county is up by one-third in 2018 compared to the same time last year, say Anne Arundel County Police. Numbers released March 14 show that 37 people had died from an overdose in the county already this year, compared with 27 deaths by the same date in 2017. And the overall number of overdoses is only slightly lower, with 219 tallied so far this year compared with 241 for the same period a year ago.

In issuing the monthly report, officials said that 170 people have taken advantage of help available at county Safe Stations. The Safe Station program launched in April 2017 pulled together resources to create a multidisciplinary effort, opening up police and fire stations in the county to anyone seeking treatment for drug addiction. It teams up law enforcement, the state's attorney's office and a 24-hour crisis team.

The Safe Station program helped at least 385 county residents in 2017, according to county police. In response to the heroin/opioid addiction epidemic, every county and Annapolis City Fire and Police Station, along with both Maryland State Police barracks in the county, are designated as a safe place for addicts to find help with addiction.

At any time of day or night, an Anne Arundel County resident who is a heroin/opioid addict and decides to ask for help can go to any fire station to talk to the personnel on duty to obtain assistance detoxing. The Safe Station program teams up law enforcement, the state's attorney's office and a 24-hour crisis team.

When police posted the latest update on Facebook Wednesday, one commenter said, "All the drug addicts should die. This would solve the drug epidemic."

But others disagreed and called the comment pathetic. "Stop the negativity, unless you have a family member or close friend that has a drug problem you won't understand or care," wrote another.

Wes Adams is the state's attorney for Anne Arundel County, and knows about drug addiction all too well. "I grew up in addiction. My dad was an alcoholic and an addict. Both of my wife's brothers we've lost to addiction," he said.

Because many inpatient facilities won't accept individuals with open warrants, Adams works with addicts who come into theSafe Stations with them. Before the start of the Safe Station program, people had to serve their warrants, often spending a few nights in jail before they could more forward. Now, Adams said, treatment can come before their court dates.

'"They're into treatment so that when they finally do come to court, they're in a better frame of mind. Presumably we're going to get better outcomes from that particular offender," he told the University of Maryland's Capital News Service.

Statewide, at least 1,069 people lost their lives in 2017 because of opioid-related overdoses, according to state health department data. Anne Arundel County was one of the hardest hit areas. County police say last year over 900 overdoses were reported, and more than 100 residents lost their lives due to an overdose.

The latest fatal overdose count by state health officials released in October 2017 showed that while prescription drug overdose deaths were down across Maryland and heroin fatalities are relatively flat in recent months, fentanyl is killing more residents than ever.

The rate of fatal drug and alcohol overdoses in the state continues at an epidemic pace — especially for users of fentanyl and the even more lethal carfentanyl — say state officials, who urged users to get into treatment before it's too late. The Maryland Department of Health's data for fatal overdoses for the second quarter of 2017 showed that opioid-related overdose deaths continue to skyrocket in the state.

From January through June of 2017, there were 1,172 overdose-related deaths in the state, including 799 fentanyl-related deaths. In the first three months of the year, by comparison, there were 550 drug and alcohol overdose-related deaths statewide, including 372 fentanyl-related deaths. During the same six-month period in 2016, 969 Marylanders died from an overdose.

Heroin and prescription opioid deaths for the second quarter of 2017 are relatively flat compared to the second quarter of 2016. Heroin overdose deaths increased by seven in the second quarter of 2017 when compared to the same time frame in 2016. Overdose deaths from prescription opioids fell by seven, totaling 218 in the second quarter of 2016 and falling to 211 during 2017.

See the full state report online.

PHOTO: A Safe Station stands as part of Maryland's Brooklyn Park Fire Department Dec. 1, 2017. It is one of the most popular ones in Anne Arundel County. (Sue Kopen Katcef/Capital News Service)