Maryland's Heroin and Opioid Epidemic

Yesterday, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced that all Baltimore County Police officers will start carrying Narcan, a drug that can immediately reverse the effects of an opioid or heroin overdose. This announcement comes almost a year to the day that Senator Kathy Klausmeier and I introduced legislation, now law, which provided civil immunity for police officers who administer Narcan. In addition, the County Executive announced a new hotline for those who are dealing with drug abuse, or for anyone seeking information regarding drug abuse. That number is 410-88-REACH.

The statistics on heroin and opioid deaths are beyond alarming. We truly are in the midst of an epidemic. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC - heroin deaths have nearly quadrupled since 2000. In 2014, nationwide, there were 28,648 deaths from heroin and other opioids, exceeding the number of deaths from car crashes. In Maryland, 578 people died of heroin overdoses in 2014, a 25% increase from 2013 and more than twice the number who died from heroin in 2010.

Dozens of bills have been introduced to deal with the epidemic. The Hogan Administration is sponsoring bills modeled on recommendations of the 11-member Task Force, chaired by Lt Governor Boyd G. Rutherford. One measure would target drug dealers more effectively by changing the state’s gang laws to mirror the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, commonly known as RICO. Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said RICO “is a very powerful tool for police and prosecutors because it has a wide reach.” He said prosecutors have been trying to make this change to the gang law for years.

Another bill will be phased in to mandate that doctors and pharmacists use the Maryland Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. They will have to enter information about prescriptions into the database that can be used by health care professionals and pharmacists to see patterns of overprescribing. Currently, the Drug Monitoring Program use is not mandatory. Three out of four heroin addicts began by becoming addicted to opioid pain killer pills.

In December 2015, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a directive allowing individuals to get Narcan without a prescription. They would only have to show that they had been trained to administer the drug, which can instantly reverse an overdose. The directive will enable addicts, their families, and friends to save lives.

I can honestly say that as an elected official, there is no better feeling than knowing the legislation you passed is saving lives. Thanks to the expanded availability of Narcan, we will start saving even more lives in Baltimore County.