"Heroin deaths continuing to rise in Maryland" (Baltimore Sun) May 19, 2015
Tuesday May 19th, 2015
The department's annual tally of drug- and alcohol-related deaths shows heroin's toll continuing a steep rise that began several years ago. The number of heroin-related deaths in 2014 was 25 percent higher than the previous year, and more than double the total in 2010. The Baltimore task force is scheduled to issue its recommendations to Rawlings-Blake in July. Dr. Leana S. Wen, the city health commissioner, said the new state statistics confirm what she calls a "public health crisis" — but a preventable one.