Overdose Crisis
Baltimore media outlets may be exacerbating an already unprecedented overdose crisis
Experts say stigmatizing language and hasty coverage in Baltimore have spread misinformation and steered a city struggling with the overdose crisis away from public health response and toward fear-driven police crackdowns.
Capitalizing on a crisis: Mark Conway's bid for Congress
Councilman Mark Conway has made an inherently flawed response to the overdose crisis a priority — and he's used it to propel his bid for U.S. Congress.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a day of remembrance — and a call to action
Tomorrow is not just about those who have died. It's also about those who are currently using in the face of an increasingly lethal drug supply, and what we can do to keep them alive.
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.
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.
Mayor Scott says the state of the city is strong. Here's where the OD crisis stands
At Mayor Brandon Scott's State of the City address Monday, he lauded his administration's progress, including its efforts to address the overdose crisis. Yet despite a historic drop in deaths, there's more to the story.
Lived experience is crucial in guiding Baltimore’s overdose crisis response, new board members say
Mayor Brandon Scott swore in 20 members of the city’s new Opioid Restitution Advisory Board last week, eight of whom were chosen because of their personal history with substance use disorder and overdose.
Petty politics in the epicenter of the OD crisis
Welcome to the first edition of the Mobtown Redux newsletter. Let's talk about some political theater.
Baltimore OD deaths plummeted in 2024, but Black residents still bear the brunt of crisis
Data released by the Maryland Department of Health last week showed Baltimore recorded 680 deaths in 2024, a 35% decrease from the year prior.
With Baltimore's legal saga almost over, public discourse about OD crisis may soon begin
Since this spring, Mayor Brandon Scott's administration has repeatedly refused to comment on matters related to drugs or the overdose crisis, citing ongoing litigation.
Baltimore's fatal overdose rate shows signs of slowing, prompting cautious optimism
The last time the city saw less than 800 deaths was in 2017, which preceded a pandemic-era surge in fatalities caused by the proliferation of fentanyl.