Dollar signs and discourse mean nothing without decisive action on OD crisis
The influx of public discourse about Baltimore's overdose crisis has been a welcome and undoubtedly positive change. Yet without action, those who use drugs will continue to die at astronomical rates.
Harm reduction is not just a means to a sober end
Baltimore officials appear to view harm reduction as a means to an end. In other words, it's just a way to keep people alive until they can get sober. That may be the case for some, but it's a dangerous conclusion to draw.
Baltimore takes Trump's lead by escalating drug war after mass OD event
Baltimore is expanding an anti-violence program that hinges upon drug busts and lofty charges for those caught up in the mess. It fits nicely into a broader push for a more militarized approach to drug policy.
‘It’s easier out here’: Despite extreme temperatures, unhoused Baltimoreans often seek comfort, familiarity in anything but a shelter
The story of being unsheltered in Baltimore is one largely rooted in trauma and the government’s failure to protect its most vulnerable.
Drug talk: A lesson in decency and semantics after this week's chaos
Words matter. And in the epicenter of the nation's overdose crisis, the least Baltimore officials and media outlets can do is minimize chaos and halt their use of harmful rhetoric that demonizes drug users.
As mayor’s administration tiptoes around overdose prevention centers, Councilman Dorsey says they’re needed now
Though Mayor Scott has the authority to unilaterally impose measures such as OPCs, he has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter despite naming them a “legislative priority” this year.
With a focus on harm reduction, Baltimore’s strategic plan looks to cut fatal overdoses 40% by 2040
Baltimore's draft strategic plan lists myriad goals, but it also contains some ambiguity, leaving the door open for programs such as overdose prevention centers.
Baltimore's landmark opioid case faces another delay, but public hearings are finally coming
A judge has granted the city an extension in the historic case, giving it more time to decide whether to accept a significantly lower award from a jury verdict last year or opt for a new trial. However, public hearings are on the horizon.
BPD data makes it hard to argue that Baltimore's drug war isn't alive and well
Earlier this week, the Baltimore Beat published my deep dive on the War on Drugs in Baltimore. Nearly everyone arrested and charged with drug "crimes" is Black.
In Baltimore's drug war, 'public safety' comes before public health. Nearly all of those impacted are Black
City officials have found themselves unable — or unwilling — to let go of punitive drug enforcement and the millions of dollars it takes to bankroll the cops who carry it out.
Baltimore's landmark lawsuit is flawed — and so is the public's view on opioids
Earlier this week, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge P. Lawrence Fletcher-Hill rejected the city's $5.2 billion ask for abatement and reversed a $266 million jury verdict from last year. It shed light on the lawsuit's flaws, but there's more to the story.
Judge Rejects Baltimore's $5.2 Billion Lawsuit Request to Address OD Crisis
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill said the city failed to prove that it needed McKesson and Cencora to pay $5.2 billion to cover the costs of redressing the damages they allegedly caused.