Dive Brief:
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) created an 11-member Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force earlier this year to address the increased number of heroin deaths and rising addiction in the state. The group released its final recommendations this week, which include 33 proposals.
- Some of the proposals include a pilot recovery unit for inmates addicted to drugs, mandatory tracking of prescriptions to identify pain medication abuse, and more emphasis on overdose prevention.
- The recommendations also include more strict laws against organized drug trafficking and criminal penalty for heroin distribution that results in an overdose.
Dive Insight:
Opioid-related deaths have surged in recent years due, in part to pain medication addiction. There were 578 heroin deaths in Maryland last year, up 25% from 2013 and more than twice the number who died in 2010, according to The Washington Post.
The task force is led by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford (R), who announced initial actions in August. These included a $2 million initiative to increase treatment access on the Eastern Shore, expand training to administer drugs that reverse overdose effects, increase law enforcement efforts, and a public education campaign about the dangers of addiction.
The final recommendations included a proposal to create a heroin investigation unit within the Maryland State Police to coordinate efforts with local law enforcement. The task force suggested more doctors be allowed to prescribe buprenorphine, which suppresses withdrawal and helps addicts to quit.
A poll conducted in October by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland showed almost 3 out of 10 Maryland residents have a family member or close friend addicted to opioids. The rate of heroin deaths nationwide has almost quadrupled since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Hogan said in a statement he would initiate action after he reviews the recommendations.