A press release from the Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) announces the release of 2019 first quarter overdose data report.
The overdose data from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) showed some declines in overdose deaths compared to the first quarter of 2018.
From the press release:
During this three-month period, which includes January through March 2019, there were 577 total unintentional intoxication deaths, a 15 percent decrease as compared to the same period in 2018. Of the total, 515 (89 percent) were opioid-related deaths, primarily attributable to fentanyl. Opioid-related deaths declined by 14.3 percent.
Heroin-related deaths continued to decline, decreasing 23 percent in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018. Prescription opioid-related deaths declined by 16 percent in the first three months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
As previously reported on Conduit Street, the MDH and OOCC annual report for 2018 noted an overall increase in overdose deaths in 2018 — more than 2,000 for the second year in a row, but a slower pace of deaths than in 2017. The declines in the first quarter of 2019 are encouraging.
For more information:
State Releases 2019 First Quarter Fatal Overdose Data (OOCC)
Opioid Operational Command Center 2019 First Quarter Report (OOCC)
Overdose Deaths in Maryland Top 2,000 for Second Year in a Row (Conduit Street)
