January 15th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
According to a new report issued, Western Maryland saw the state's largest percent increase in opioid deaths in the third quarter of 2020. Allegany County was the hardest hit area, experiencing a 111.1% increase in opioid deaths the first nine months of 2020 compared to 2019, per the quarterly Opioid Operational Command Center report. According to the data, 38 residents died of opioid overdoses between January and September 2020, compared with 18 during the same period in 2019. Garrett County saw a 25% increase in the same time frame — five residents died in 2020 and four in 2019. Washington County saw a 36.8% increase, rising from 57 deaths to 78. Congressman David Trone says that his district- Western Maryland- reported 121 regional deaths through the first three quarters of 2020, a 53.2 percent increase compared to this point last year. With 78 fatalities, Washington County accounted for 64.4 percent of the regional opioid-related deaths. Trone said it’s a national emergency that is largely being ignored.
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