Heroin Fatalities Up 185 Percent: Harford Sheriff

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Heroin fatalities are spiking in Harford County, the county's top cop says.

The sign posted above shows the overdose tally in Harford County as of March 4, when 13 lives had been lost due to heroin.

Now that number is 21, officials say.

Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler reported that fatal overdoses are up more than 185 percent compared with the same time last year, in an interview with WBAL Radio.

Of the 21 heroin-related deaths reported this year, Gahler said he had received autopsies for nine so far — and all nine showed fentanyl was involved.

Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Some drug users who think they are buying heroin are actually buying fentanyl or heroin laced with fentanyl.

Earlier this month, Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland due to the rise in overdose deaths from heroin, particularly because of fentanyl.

“We need to treat this crisis the exact same way we would treat any other state emergency," Hogan said. "This is about taking an all-hands-on-deck approach..."

• Gov. Larry Hogan Declares State Of Emergency Due To Opioid Crisis
• $3M Targeted at Fighting Maryland's Heroin Epidemic
• Harford's First Heroin Fatality Of 2017 Reported Minutes Into New Year

The death toll in Harford County rose just last weekend.

There were three fatal overdoses on Saturday and one on Sunday, according to The Aegis.

Those who died Saturday included a 26-year-old man in Bel Air, 35-year-old man in Aberdeen and 47-year-old woman in Havre de Grace, the newspaper reported, and a 27-year-old man fatally overdosed in Aberdeen Sunday.

Gahler reportedly said that it will get "worse before we start to see better," as education that began in the past few years in Harford County effects change.

Outreach efforts have been ongoing to educate the community about the deadly drug.

Harford County launched a public awareness campaign in 2016 to combat the heroin epidemic that includes these elements, among others:

• Billboards and public service announcements
• Project Healthy Delivery, a program to help pregnant women with addiction
• Trainings on heroin for professionals, from health teachers to businesses
• Harford County Bar Foundation partnership to help addicts with legal issues
• Speaking tour to educate parents about the problem
• Recovery coaches and recovery coach coordinator to help addicts navigate job opportunities and support services after treatment

There are naloxone trainings for community members to learn how to administer the overdose antidote, through the health department.

In the school system, a display putting faces to the fatalities has been making the rounds in high schools countywide and a play called "Addicted" has brought the reality of addiction close to home.

Each week, the Harford County Sheriff's Office also updates signs outside its offices that show the number of fatal and nonfatal overdoses in Harford County.

"Behind that number, it's a human being," Gahler told ABC 2 News of the heroin tally. "It's heartbreaking."

Photo from Sept. 20, 2016.

Where to Get Help in Maryland

See local resources in Harford County for those struggling with addiction, provided by the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy.

Maryland residents who need help can also find substance abuse treatment facilities on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's website. Or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.