Pubdate: Mon, 31 Aug 2015
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Donna F. Edwards
Note: Rep. Donna F. Edwards, a Democrat, represents Maryland's 4th 
Congressional Districtand is running for the U.S. Senate.

CURBING DRUG OVERDOSES MUST BE A FEDERAL PRIORITY

A24-year-old athlete from Columbia, a teenage girl from Glen Burnie 
who wanted to become a medical examiner and a 21-year-old brother of 
two from Pasadena. What do these three individuals have in common? 
Each died from a drug overdose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 
2013, nearly 44,000 Americans died from drug overdose, referring to 
the situation as an "epidemic" as it eclipsed the number of deaths 
from auto accidents for the fifth year in a row.

With this surge in cases, it is no surprise that drug overdoses are 
having a devastating impact in communities across our state too. Drug 
overdose is skyrocketing in America, and the statistics here in 
Maryland are sobering.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports that 
there were 1,039 overdose deaths in 2014, including 578 
heroin-related deaths alone. This marks a 60 percent increase from 
2010, and similar trends are seen across the country. The CDC also 
points out the growing threat of overdose to women, with women dying 
from overdose increasing by 400 percent since 1999, compared to a 265 
percent increase among men.

In real terms, a drug overdose is occurring every 19 minutes, with 
approximately 100 Americans, friends and loved ones being taken too 
soon each and every day. That is why I, along with Sen. Jack Reed of 
Rhode Island, reintroduced federal legislation to curb our nation's 
alarming overdose epidemic by cementing as a federal priority 
educating and training the public, first responders and caregivers of 
those at risk of overdose.

The S.O.S. Act, H.R. 2850, which I first introduced six years ago, is 
a bipartisan approach that would dedicate federal funding to 
communities across our nation and in Maryland so they can be 
outfitted with naloxone, a drug that is proven to reverse the effects 
of heroin and opioid overdoses until proper medical care can be 
provided. I am pleased that naloxone is being used successfully by 
first responders across Maryland, including by the Anne Arundel 
County sheriff's department.

In order to move forward, we must also enhance national data 
reporting on nonfatal and fatal drug overdoses to improve the 
existing overdose surveillance systems. Our current three-year lag is 
preventing experts from having the data needed to address this 
problem effectively. It's simple: With more timely data, we can 
identify geographical areas of increased overdose incidents, bring 
programs to those areas and measure their effectiveness in saving lives.

The S.O.S. Act incorporates these concrete steps.

As is so often the case, we must work in unison at the federal, state 
and local levels if we are to address these challenges successfully. 
New federal funding through the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy is an important step forward to help several states in our 
region coordinate public health and public safety efforts to combat 
heroin use. I am also encouraged by the dedication shown by Gov. 
Larry Hogan's administration on this issue, with Lt. Gov. Boyd 
Rutherford holding his last Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task 
Force regional summit earlier this summer. After months of receiving 
input from Marylanders who have been affected by this epidemic first 
hand, my hope is that the governor's office will pursue a federal 
investment to expand naloxone access throughout the state.

As we close out summer vacations with family and friends and begin 
the new school year, today marks International Overdose Awareness 
Day. I hope you will join me in remembering those who were taken too 
soon by drug overdose and help raise awareness of the threat from 
heroin and opioid overdose. I am grateful that the Baltimore City 
Health Department is conducting a training on overdose prevention and 
donating naloxone kits in recognition of the day. Federal and state 
lawmakers must continue to work together to develop a comprehensive 
national plan to curb this epidemic. Local communities in Maryland 
and around the country are counting on federal and state leadership 
to provide the programs and resources they need to help save lives.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom