Drug Overdose Deaths Pass 2,000 In 2016 In Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD — Misuse of painkillers and illicit opioids such as heroin — which in recent months has been laced with the powerful sedative fentanyl and even elephant tranquilizers — led to a record number of fatal drug overdoses in Maryland in 2016. State officials released the grim tally Thursday, which said a record 2,089 people died from overdoses last year, a 66 percent increase from 2015’s data. The largest surge was seen in residents 55 and older.

Police and emergency responders across Maryland have seen fentanyl mixed with heroin accelerate the number of overdoses. The pain-killing drug given by hospitals to surgery patients is much stronger, and users are taking the same dosage, which their bodies can’t handle. And in 2017, strings of overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal, were tied to carfentanil, a large animal tranquilizer, being added to illicit drugs.

According to new numbers released by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the 2,089 overdose deaths reported last year surpassed the 1,259 overdose deaths that occurred in all of 2015 statewide.

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