Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Submits Final Report to Governor Larry Hogan

Report Includes 33 Final Recommendations to Combat Statewide Epidemic

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, created by Governor Larry Hogan on Feb. 24, 2015 and chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, today submitted its Final Report to the governor.

The Task Force – made up of 11 members with expertise in addiction treatment, law enforcement, education, and prevention, including a mother who lost her daughter to a heroin overdose – advises and assists the governor in establishing a coordinated statewide and multi-jurisdictional effort to prevent, treat, and significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in the state.

The Final Report, in conjunction with the August 2015 Interim Report, completes all of the Task Force’s duties as outlined in Executive Order 01.01.2015.12. It contains 33 new recommendations that address all major facets of the issue, and are divided into seven major sections:
Expanding Access to Treatment
Enhancing Quality of Care
Boosting Overdose Prevention Efforts
Escalating Law Enforcement Options
Reentry and Alternatives to Incarceration
Promoting Educational Tools to Youth, Parents, and School Officials
Improving State Support Services

“Throughout the campaign, in every corner of the state, I heard heartbreaking stories of how heroin and opioid abuse was destroying families and communities and I knew that tackling this issue had to be a top priority of our administration,” Governor Larry Hogan said. “I am extremely proud of the work Lt. Governor Rutherford and the Task Force have done over the last nine months and applaud them for the countless hours they spent developing these recommendations to combat this devastating epidemic. I look forward to reviewing their recommendations and taking the next steps to significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in Maryland.”

"I am very pleased to present the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report to Governor Hogan today," said Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, chairman of the Task Force. "Despite the stigma attached to heroin and opioid abuse, it is an issue that transcends race, socio-economic status, age, and any other demographic. I commend Governor Hogan for tackling this issue head-on and giving hope to the thousands of Maryland families who are affected by this epidemic every day."

View the complete Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report here.