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Expansion of life-saving medications for opioid use disorder in prisons delayed as access remains a public health threat
There are already concerns that the program, which allows opioid-use disorder medications to be covered by Medicaid, won’t go far enough. The program only covers the medications, which include methadone and buprenorphine, 90 days prior to release.
New data on Baltimore's OD crisis underscores the absurdity of local response
New state data on Baltimore's drug supply and fatal overdoses provides the latest insight into the city's crisis. Deaths are on the decline, yet the cops have opted to crack down — and the drug supply continues to evolve.
Baltimore Accepts Offer for Fraction of the Opioid Settlement It Sought
When factoring in a handful of settlements with other opioid manufacturers and distributors reached in 2024, the city’s total earnings from opioid-related lawsuits have reached nearly $580 million.
Baltimore's windfall of restitution funds isn't as much as you think
Baltimore is slated to receive $580 million total in restitution funds after the city accepted an offer from the judge in the case against McKesson and AmerisourceBergen. That seems like a lot of money — until you put it in context.
As Trump targets Baltimore’s unsheltered population and harm reduction funding, Mayor Scott offers many words, few actions
Mayor Brandon Scott has appeared on national television five times this week to rebut Trump’s lies about violent crime, but he still hasn’t detailed a plan to protect Baltimoreans dealing with homelessness and substance use disorder.
Maryland is without any harm reduction training program after dropping Baltimore nonprofit
Since July 1, there has been no organization helming the Maryland Department of Health’s statewide harm reduction training program, and all harm reduction training modules have been scrubbed from the internet.
Judge Offers Baltimore $100 million for OD Crisis—Far Less Than City Sought
The August 8 decision was not a complete surprise. In a June ruling, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill had indicated the city would not receive nearly as much as it had hoped.
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.