Baltimore expanded harm reduction services and secured hundreds of millions of dollars to turbocharge its efforts in Mayor Brandon Scott's first term, according to a report detailing the mayor's accomplishments in the past four years.
In a brief nod to the city's fight against the overdose crisis in a 47-page report released Tuesday, Scott touted the city's increased access to harm reduction tools such as naloxone, creation of an overdose data dashboard and successful lawsuits against opioid companies that have resulted in nearly $670 million heading to the city's coffers.
"This report reflects the hard work and commitment of so many — from city employees to community partners — who share the vision of a better Baltimore," Scott said in a statement. "It’s a reflection of how far we’ve come and a reminder that this is only the beginning."
The report highlighted numerous initiatives launched under Scott's leadership to combat the overdose crisis, which in Baltimore claims lives at a higher rate than any other major U.S. city.
In addition to creating an overdose data dashboard, its naloxone vending machine pilot program, for example, dispensed 637 harm reduction kits since September.
The city also distributed 327 fentanyl test strips, 22,458 doses of naloxone and 1,898 kits containing sterile syringes, wound care supplies, food and water in the past year.
The report also details the city's success in independently pursuing litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors. Scott's administration hopes to use the funds to ramp up harm reduction efforts and curb the city's overdose death rate.
When factoring in money from the first phase of a trial involving two large opioid distributors that wrapped up last month and five separate settlements reached this year, the city is slated to receive nearly $670 million.
City officials hope the windfall of funds will help bankroll a $5.2 billion abatement plan that was the subject of the second phase trial with McKesson and Cencora, formerly called AmerisourceBergen, that concluded earlier this month.
The 15-year, five-point abatement plan calls for increased investments in treatment; harm reduction; education; services for special populations, such as during pregnancy; and monitoring and implementation.
The plan includes increasing the city’s treatment capacity, augmenting harm reduction initiatives and, perhaps most notably, opening overdose prevention centers.
The city could reduce fatal overdoses by 50% and triple the number of people in treatment under the plan, saving as many as 6,000 lives over 15 years.
It also aims to decrease opioid prescriptions by 55%. That goal has proven controversial elsewhere, however, as some studies show that targeting opioid prescriptions could hurt pain patients and drive up overdoses.
A judge is expected to soon rule on whether the companies will cover the total costs of the plan.
In the report, Scott touted an executive order he signed in August, which created a governance structure to disburse the funds in a transparent, effective manner.
It includes establishing a dedicated opioid restitution fund, an advisory board composed of residents with lived addiction experience and a trust to maximize its impact.
The city is now interviewing candidates for the two positions created by the executive order, Scott said earlier this month. Officials have also drafted an "Accountability and Transparency Plan" for how the funds will be used.
In addition, the city is scheduling "community listening sessions" in 2025 while working on a supplemental budget to create an initial appropriation of restitution funds.
So far, the city has earmarked $107 million for local opioid remediation programs, as stipulated by settlement agreements with five companies.
The accomplishments cited by Scott — and his administration's plans for the future — come amid a deadly backdrop in Baltimore.
There were 740 overdose deaths in Baltimore in the 12-month period ending in November, according to the latest preliminary data from the Maryland Department of Health. That equates to 126.3 deaths per 100,000 people when using 2020 US Census data.
The number tops any other major U.S. city and dwarfs those of other Maryland jurisdictions.
However, it still put the city on a path to end 2024 with the lowest death toll in years. Experts have said they are cautiously optimistic about the apparent drop in deaths as numbers continue to decline nationally.
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