Baltimore County's Opioid Response Working Group has released a draft report of recommendations aimed at advancing the county's opioid epidemic efforts. From a Baltimore County news release: The recommendations fall into seven categories, including: Stigma Prevention Treatment Recovery Family support Criminal justice Harm reduction ... Baltimore County has the second highest number of overdose deaths in the state—in 2018, 348 people died from opioid-related overdoses, up from 323 in 2017. Olszewski’s Transition Team made a number…
MACo to prioritize education funding, school construction, health crises, and implied preemption in the 2020 session. MACo’s Legislative Committee voted at their September 18, 2019 meeting to adopt the Association’s four priorities for the 2020 Session. These issues cover a broad range of important county concerns that MACo will proactively advocate for in front of the General Assembly. School Funding – Funding Fairness, County Role The 2020 Session will feature a generational debate about school…
Purdue Pharma has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is the latest but far from the final update in the pursuit of litigation against opioid companies for their role in contributing to the opioid crisis. Questions remain as to what the settlement will mean for the Sackler family who owned Purdue; the 24 states and more than 2,000 local governments that have agreed to the settlement which is valued at $10-12 billion with a $3…
The American Cancer Society is sponsoring an open policy forum event to discuss "vaping" and tobacco taxation - October 22 at the Anne Arundel Medical Center, Doordan Institute. You are invited to join the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for their annual Maryland Policy Forum, a premiere event that brings together more than a hundred leaders from the business, education, government and research communities. The 2019 event will highlight raising awareness to the toll of…
Officials from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) have confirmed the first person this year to be infected with the West Nile virus in Maryland. From My MC Media: The infected individual is an adult living in the National Capital Region in Maryland. The Health Department routinely tracks and responds to mosquito-borne infections; no other locally acquired insect-borne infections have been identified this year in the state. The number of human West Nile virus cases…
A Bay Journal article (2019-09-11) reported that researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County have found ultraviolet (IV) ray filtering chemicals from sunscreen products, as well as antibiotics and endocrine-disrupting hormones in Chesapeake Bay oysters. The findings present another challenge to oyster and Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and raise human health concerns. The article noted that the contaminants are introduced into the water system through shower and sink drains and end up in both Bay water…
The grant of $532,109 will help fund the lower eastern shore counties' -- Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset -- crisis stabilization center. The stabilization center is the result of a partnership the tri-county health departments and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. From a Worcester County news release: The funding awarded by the project will benefit individuals seeking urgent help for substance-use disorders. These individuals will receive access to a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment, along with…
The latest development in the nationwide litigation efforts against opioid companies is shaping up to be a game-changer. Purdue Pharma has tentatively reached a settlement with 23 states and over 2,000 cities that sued the company over its role in creating the opioid crisis. The deal is estimated to be between $10-12 bilion with a $3 billion guarantee over 7 years to be distributed to the aggrieved jurisdictions. If finalized it would remove Purdue from all…
The LOCAL Maryland coalition, along with the NAACP, are presenting a public "town meeting" on state-level preemption - mark your calendars for Thursday evening, September 19, in Prince George's County. What is #preemption and how can it hurt your health and quality of life? Join us at the Prince George's NAACP Town Hall Meeting on Sept. 19 in Lanham to learn more about preserving the right of local governments to work for your needs. Questions?…
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