News Coverage

"Heroin Summit" (WBAL-TV) April 15, 2015

Apr 16th, 2015

Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford held a summit Wednesday in Baltimore for the Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force.  Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said heroin has been a problem in the city for decades. "We have to focus on saving lives, first and foremost. Second, I want to make sure we see addiction as a chronic disease, which it is. It's just like high blood pressure or diabetes -- there are treatments available, but it is something that can be fatal," Wen said.

"Mayor’s Heroin Taskforce Updates Community on Progress" (Afro American) April 8, 2015

Apr 9th, 2015

More Baltimore residents died as a result of drug overdose than homicide last year, a startling fact in light of how easy it is to prevent opioid overdoses. We know how to prevent deaths, and there are effective treatment options for addiction. The question is, how we get the necessary resources to those who need them most? This was the message at the first community update meeting of the Mayor’s Heroin Treatment and Prevention Taskforce.

"Battling Baltimore's Heroin Epidemic" (98 Rock / WBAL AM) April 5, 2015

Apr 6th, 2015

WBAL's Derek Williams discusses the fight against heroin with Baltimore's Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.

"Maryland lawmakers rushing to ban powdered alcohol" (Washington Post) April 2, 2015

Apr 6th, 2015

Alcohol producers have discovered another way for partyers to get buzzed. But public health officials and lawmakers, concerned about the safety of teens and young adults, are scrambling to take a newly approved product off the market. “As a public health leader, emergency physician and mother of three, I must say powdered alcohol is my worst nightmare,” Joneigh S. Khaldun, the Baltimore City Health Department’s chief medical officer, said Thursday during a hearing in Annapolis on legislation that would ban the sale of powdered alcohol in Maryland for two years. “It’s basically alcoholic Tang.”

"New task force to tackle Baltimore's heroin problem" (WBAL-TV) April 1, 2015

Apr 2nd, 2015

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said combating heroin is the kind of work that cannot be done in a vacuum. Baltimore's relatively new Heroin Task Force will be holding its first public forum. "The problems with heroin affect every single one of us here in our city. They affect our community and our city for decades, and so it's critical to be part of the solution, and think through, how can we prevent deaths from overdose? How can we increase access to treatment?" Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said.

"Tackling The Heroin Crisis In Baltimore" (WMAR) April 1, 2015

Apr 2nd, 2015

Drug and alcohol abuse in Baltimore is a very real issue.  Last year more people died from overdoses then murder in the Charm City.  Heroin is to blame for 143 of those lost lives. "Heroin literally affects every single part of our city,” said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.  “It's estimated that we have about 19,000 people in our city who are using heroin."

"#Bmorehealthyselfie Social Media Campaign Launched" (WMAR ABC2)

Apr 1st, 2015

The Baltimore City Health Department launched a new social media campaign #BmoreHealthySelfie Tuesday…

"Meet Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City’s New Health Commissioner" (Baltimore Fishbowl) March 30, 2015

Mar 30th, 2015

Last January, Dr. Leana S. Wen took the reins from Dr. Oxiris Barbot as Baltimore City Health Commissioner.  Being responsible for the health of the entire city seems like a gargantuan charge, especially for someone barely 30. But given Wen’s accomplishments to date—she entered college at 13, studied public health and health policy as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, served on an advisory commission to Congress regarding graduate medical education, worked as an attending physician in a busy emergency room, gave four popular TED and TEDMed talks, wrote a critically-acclaimed book When Doctor’s Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests, to name a few—she’s probably up to the task.

"Here's how Maryland's voluntary ban on powdered alcohol works" (Baltimore Business Journal) March 26, 2015

Mar 27th, 2015

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is confident his ban on powdered alcohol is “airtight” and that the new fad alcohol, which has public health experts up in arms, will never hit store shelves in Maryland. Franchot supports the bill and on Thursday joined Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen and local doctors at a press conference in Baltimore to call on lawmakers to take action.

"Powdered Alcohol Stirring Up Controversy In Md" (WJZ) March 26, 2015

Mar 26th, 2015

No powdered alcohol in Maryland. Maryland’s comptroller, health care leaders and the alcohol industry all join forces to keep the potentially dangerous product off the market. Public health leaders are taking a stand with Maryland’s comptroller to ban the dangerous substance.

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