Baltimore Mayor Scott releases preliminary plan to curb city opioid overdoses
The plan is part of an executive order detailing how the city will spend $242.5 million in settlement funds won in a lawsuit against multiple pharmaceutical companies.
Data on opioid overdoses in Baltimore City
According to Baltimore City's Overdose Needs Assessment, overdose deaths are declining – but the city still leads metro areas nationally in overdose mortality.
Black male residents who are 60 and older are 4.6 times as likely to experience a fatal overdose compared to their white counterparts. The leading cause of maternal mortality in Maryland is overdose, the city's report cited.
What is the plan to reduce overdoses?
The overall goals of the city's preliminary plan include addressing inequities in the overdose crisis, dismantling silos and improving connections within care systems, reducing the stigma surrounding care, and improving the quality and accessibility of substance use services across the city.
The city said that when community members lack access to housing, food, employment, and transportation, their access to harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services can be impeded.
Housing is the most essential need to support those who use drugs, according to the assessment.
The report also highlights a need to increase youth engagement programming in the city. Other needs included in the assessment are public health education and awareness campaigns, expanded access to mental health services, and more harm reduction spaces. In a community input form, community members said pharmacy access was also an issue.
What are the next steps?
Mayor Scott says his goal is to reduce fatal overdoses by 40% by 2040.
"This is a major milestone in our work to end the overdose crisis in our city and address decades of harm done to our residents," Scott said. "We made the decision to directly take on Big Pharma for their role in this crisis, and we won millions in settlements and awards. This strategic plan lays out how we'll invest that money back into communities, with the goal of reducing fatal overdoses at least 40% by 2040."
The city will hold four listening sessions in July where residents can provide feedback on the plan:
Wednesday, July 9: 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Cherry Hill Elementary and Middle School, 801 Bridgeway Rd., Baltimore, MD 21225
Thursday, July 17: 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Gethsemane Baptist Church, 2520 Francis St., Baltimore, MD 21217
Wednesday, July 23: 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Pimlico Elementary School, 4849 Pimlico Rd., Baltimore, MD 21215
Thursday, July 31: 5:30–8:00 p.m. at Henderson Hopkins Elementary and Middle School, 2100 Ashland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21205
The full Overdose Response Strategic Plan is available here.
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