TOWSON, MD—Overdose deaths in Baltimore County decreased by 30% in 2024 from the previous year, a significant drop that County Executive Kathy Klausmeier and County Health Officer Dr. Lucy E. Wilson announced this week. This decline represents a 49% decrease in overdoses since 2021. This decrease is based on preliminary information from the Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard, which reported 286 fatal overdoses in 2023 and 200 in 2024.
“Every overdose is a tragedy, but it is encouraging to see that Baltimore County’s work to prioritize overdose prevention is making a difference,” Klausmeier said in a statement. “We hope to grow this work and reach even more residents and their families impacted by addiction through partnerships with local organizations in our fight to save lives.”
The County Executive also announced approximately $1 million in funding for local organizations to support their work in opioid abatement. The funds will go toward expanding harm reduction services, enhancing access to medications for opioid use disorder treatment, and establishing standard treatment protocols for pregnant women suffering from substance use disorder.
These investments are bolstered by expanded harm reduction services, made possible by $150,000 from the CDC, awarded to Baltimore County through the Daniel Carl Torsch Foundation and Health Care for the Homeless.
Among the recipients of these funds are Chase Brexton, the Daniel Carl Torsch Foundation, Health Care for the Homeless, MATClinics, and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.
“The Department of Health has worked consistently on several fronts to reduce overdose numbers,” Wilson said in a statement. She highlighted the department’s efforts in making Naloxone available at various locations, including health centers, the Animal Services office, the mobile health unit, community events, and select Baltimore County Department of Social Services offices.
The county has also expanded public health vending machines to offer free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, and other hygiene products. Four of these vending machines are currently available across the county, funded by Opioid Abatement Funds and the CDC Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) LOCAL cooperative agreement.
For those struggling with substance use, the Baltimore County Department of Health’s REACH warm line is available at 410-887-3224 from Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to midnight. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can also be reached at 988 for anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. https://www.88REACH.org and https://www.988helpline.org offer more information.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
Photo by Alex Green from Pexels
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