Baltimore's efforts to combat the overdose crisis and provide opioid remediation services are well underway, according to a new state report, yet it remains beleaguered by fatal overdoses.
The Overdose Prevention Team Substance Use Program Inventory, released by the Maryland Office of Overdose Response on Tuesday, shows the city has made more headway in developing remediation programs than almost any other jurisdiction in the state. But more can still be done, the agency says – a sentiment that comes as Baltimore struggles with the highest overdose death rate in the nation.
"In the case of Baltimore City, which has the 2nd-highest number of high-priority programs at some stage of development, we find it very encouraging that their Overdose Prevention Team has identified areas where they believe they can do even more to reduce overdoses and save lives," spokesman Michael Coury said in a statement. "We recognize that, while the state has made tremendous progress in implementing programs addressing overdose, we still have work to do."
Of the 118 programs looked at by the agency, 116 were at least in the developmental stages as of the second quarter of this year in Baltimore, according to the report. Only Howard County showed more progress.
Two areas where jurisdictions such as Baltimore have excelled are the distribution of naloxone and the availability of medications such as buprenorphine, Coury said.
The report also highlights Baltimore's progress in developing programs that address racial health disparities and provide sterile equipment as well as HIV testing for those who use drugs.
The state would like to see some of the programs expanded, though, with the addition of naloxone vending machines and mobile buprenorphine induction models by emergency service personnel.
Overall, the state is on its way to becoming a national model for combatting the overdose crisis, and it is confident that "all local jurisdictions are continuing to make substantial progress in growing our collective efforts to reduce overdoses," Coury said.
However, when looking at the degree to which programs have actually been implemented, Baltimore falls behind.
While 91% of programs had been at least partially implemented in the city, well above the statewide average of 73%, it had the third-lowest percentage of substantially implemented programs, coming in at 28%.
Baltimore was also one of the only jurisdictions that hadn't begun to develop a "Going Purple" initiative, which aims to bring awareness about substance abuse and combat harmful stigmas.
In addition, it was one of the few jurisdictions that hadn't updated their Overdose Prevention Team's strategic plan in the past three years or implemented outreach programs for those who survived an overdose.
Coury cautioned that the data should not be viewed as a report card but as a tool to share best practices among local jurisdictions. It's also not an all-encompassing list of remediation programs.
Furthermore, the data was self-reported, meaning the jurisdictions themselves were the ones to identify what areas in which they may need to improve.
"Many of these interventions are supported by a robust body of evidence showing their effectiveness in reducing overdose risk according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)," Coury said. "Thus, notwithstanding the limitations identified above, the OPT Program Inventory remains a useful tool that helps us increase collaboration with local partners as we work to reduce overdose further in Maryland."
Blair Adams, spokeswoman for the Baltimore City Health Department, declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. Mayor Brandon Scott's administration has remained largely silent on the overdose crisis in recent months as it independently pursues litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Baltimore officials announced last week that the city had reached a $45 million settlement with CVS over its role in the opioid epidemic, marking the second successful lawsuit of its kind this year. The city expects to receive the full amount by the end of the year.
The city now hopes to recover a significantly larger sum of money from a lawsuit against companies that comprised more than 80% of the total share of distributed opioids.
The lawsuit, in which the city is seeking more than $11 billion, is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 16 despite attempts to have it thrown out, The Baltimore Sun has reported.
Local officials' sanguine responses to the settlements come as overdose deaths in Maryland dipped in 2023 as a part of a nationwide decline for the first time in five years – but Baltimore's annual death toll continued to climb.
While the state saw 2,513 deaths in 2023, a 2.5% decrease from the year prior, Baltimore had 1,045 deaths, an increase of 5.7%, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
The most recent data shows that Baltimore had a death rate of 149.4 deaths per 100,000 people in the 12-month period ending in June, which more than quadrupled the statewide average and dwarfed the death rates of other counties.
That same data, though, may also show some hope as Baltimore works to further develop programs to aid those who use drugs.
The 12-month total of 896 deaths, for example, is a significant decrease from previous periods, when the numbers often exceeded 1,000 deaths.
In addition, with 360 overdose deaths in Baltimore in the first half of 2024, the city is on track to have fewer than 900 deaths by the end of the year – a number that would mark a notable drop but would require the death rate to remain steady, despite an expected increase in fatalities during winter months.
For more data about the overdose crisis in Baltimore and beyond, check out Mobtown Mag's Overdose Death Data Dashboard here.
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