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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.
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.
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.
BPD pleads for money to fuel drug-war policing as health department faces budget cuts
As it does every year, the Baltimore Police Department asked for an increase in funding this week, in part to fund drug enforcement efforts. Yet its tactics exacerbate the overdose crisis at a time when public health funding could be upended.