A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Decline in Opioid-Related Deaths in Maryland

creative commons

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A Maryland report says the state has had a six-month decline in the total number of opioid-related fatalities for the first time in at least a decade.

The Maryland Department of Health and Opioid Operational Command Center released its second quarter report on Tuesday.

In the first half of the year, the report says there were 1,182 total unintentional intoxication deaths in the state. The report says that's an 11% decrease, compared to the same period in 2018.

Heroin-related deaths continued to decline, dropping nearly 15% through June, compared to the same time last year.

Prescription opioid-related deaths fell by 3.5% in the first six months of this year, compared to last.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.