Harford Records 200 Heroin Overdoses in 2015: Sheriff

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Law enforcement responded to a heroin overdose at least every other day in 2015 in Harford County, according to data released by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

There were 200 overdoses from heroin in the county in 2015, the sheriff’s office reported.

Of those, 27 were fatal overdoses and 173 were nonfatal, according to the report.

That marks an increase in fatal heroin-related overdoses over the previous year; in 2014, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported there were 23 heroin-related fatal overdoses countywide.

“Heroin is a serious threat to the well-being of our community,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said in a statement.

Public awareness campaigns including town halls, billboards and signs have drawn attention to the dangers of heroin use in the past year. Now, Gahler says he will advocate for legislation to crack down on heroin dealers and improve access to data and care when people have overdosed.

Gahler announced support for three bills:

• House Bill 34, which is set for a hearing on Jan. 19, would increase charges for dealers trying to sell heroin within 1,000 feet of methadone clinics and drug treatment centers.
• House Bill 15 would require hospitals and medical centers to report information about suspected opioid overdoses to law enforcement. According to the sheriff’s office, this would help by providing real-time data to law enforcement about overdoses.
• House Bill 24 would require those administering naloxone (overdose antidote) to release the recipient to medical personnel.

“...these tools will help law enforcement across the state combat this growing problem and bring those responsible for its spread to justice,” Gahler said.

See Also:

• Harford Sheriff Tallies Overdoses to Raise Awareness
• Heroin Fatalities in Harford County: ‘These Are Not Just Numbers’