Opioid Crisis: 71M Pain Pills Flooded Harford County In 7 Years

A new report published by The Washington Post shows the staggering number of opioid pills that flooded the country and contributed to the opioid crisis. The Post also published the figures showing how many pain pills reached individual states and counties.

The figures come on the heels of the federal government's report this month that drug overdose deaths declined in 2018 for the first time in three decades in the United States.

According to the data published by The Post, 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills were distributed across the country between 2006-2012. The figures come from a DEA database that The Post and The Charleston Gazette-Mail sued to obtain. A judge in Cleveland overseeing a combined lawsuit from cities across the country against drug companies granted the newspapers partial access to the database following an appeal.

In Maryland 1,165,084,559 prescription pain pills were distributed between 2006-2012.

In Harford County, 71,124,693 prescription pain pills were distributed between 2006-2012.

According to the latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 67,744 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2018, a 5 percent decline from the previous year. The agency predicts that number will rise to more than 680,000 once all data is reported.

In Maryland, there were 2,392 drug overdose deaths in 2018, an increase of 4 percent since 2017, according to the latest provisional data.

In its report, The Post said 75 percent of the pills distributed in the seven-year period came from six companies with pharmacies: McKesson Corp., Walgreens, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS and Walmart.

Four other companies were identified by the paper as being among the top 10 distributors of opioids: Smith Drug Co., Rite Aid, Kroger and H.D. Smith.

Read the full report from The Washington Post.

Where To Get Help For Addiction

Residents of Harford County can contact a 24/7 crisis hotline at 800-NEXT-STEP (800-639-8783) that is operated by behavioral health professionals who can help direct callers to behavioral health, mental health and addiction treatment resources. The Klein Family Crisis Center offers walk-in mental health and substance use urgent care from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at its location at 802 Baltimore Pike in Bel Air.

Those seeking treatment for addiction may also contact Addiction Connections Resource at 443-417-7810. The Jarrettsville-based nonprofit helps people navigate options for assistance, from therapists to halfway houses to treatment centers.

People seeking help can also call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009. Marylanders grappling with a substance use disorder can find help as well at BeforeItsTooLateMD.org.

In addition, there is a treatment locator on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are available locally as well as Nar-Anon and Al-Anon for family members.

Anyone in Maryland can get Naloxone without a prescription. This medication reverses the effect of an opioid overdose. You can also get training and find out more about Naloxone from the Maryland Department of Health.

What Harford County Is Doing

Outreach efforts have been ongoing to educate the community about the dangers of opioids in Harford County for the past several years.

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
• H.O.P.E. House, a mobile unit to help educate parents about signs of drug use
• Naloxone trainings for community members to learn how to administer the overdose antidote
• 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
• Hired recovery coaches and recovery coach coordinator to help addicts navigate job opportunities and support services after treatment
• Launched Harford drug treatment court program
• Offered drug treatment program in Harford County Detention Center

— By Patch editors Feroze Dhanoa and Elizabeth Janney