May 11th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
More than 2,300 Marylanders died from drug overdoses last year, an increase of about 5% from the year before- however there is some good news on the local front. The number of Marylanders who died after taking a fatal dose of fentanyl, the synthetic version of heroin, jumped by 17 percent last year, according to the 2018 annual report by the Maryland Department of Health.
Although minimal- Allegany County saw a decline- with three fewer people succumbing to overdoses. In Garrett, where there have never been big numbers, there was one less reported death.
State health officials say cocaine related deaths went up last year by 30 percent. The report found that almost all of the cocaine related deaths came from the users taking fatal doses of cocaine laced with fentanyl.
Last year, about 2,100 people died from drug overdoses that were related to opioids.
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May 11, 2019 at 2:41 pm, Babbs said:
Only three fewer in Allegany County and only one less reported death in Garrett County? You find that to be good news? I don’t find that to be good news at all!
May 11, 2019 at 7:57 pm, Terri Lynn Martin said:
What’s pathetic is that although both locally and nationally, overdoses have always been primarily due to illegal Fentanyl by abusive addicts, it’s the innocent, legal users with verified justifiable need forced to suffer the greatest due to increased medical expenses caused by being forced to seek ‘specialty care’ at the $million dollar Racket – Pain Management Specialists, all requiring monthly visits equaling monthly copays for visits, UA screenings, physical therapy & seemingly quite routine for too too many patients- 4 sets of spinal/nerve infections at $5000 per set! Then, of course, there’s the auto-assumed/treatment of true need patients aren’t as in need, by the Dr’s, who are truly more worried about $$ & licenses, than actual patient care, although the patients medical tests & diagnosis prove otherwise! My mother has stage Iv breast cancer and many other conditions-after 7 years of her primary care Dr adequately treating her pain, the office changed policies not allowing their docs to treat pain. Forced to go to a local ‘specialist’, she’s become nothing more than another $$ shuffled into the clinic monthly, given bare minimum, regardless of if it’s working or not & has basically lost all rights to quality health care & quality of life because it’s been easier for the powers that be to ‘fix’ what THEY CONTROL versus addressing the real issues of ILLEGAL import of these drugs & the ILLEGAL USE & ABUSE!
OR she can always make the switch to the Miracle drug: Marijuana…ain’t it funny how around the same time the push for legalizing the New MIRACLE cure all, including PAIN-was around the SAME time Opiods became EVIL!
…funny how $$$$ works!