Addiction & Recovery 9.14.25 - Flipbook - Page 3
A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, September 14, 2025 3
Overdose Numbers are Down,
but Challenges Remain
Addiction in Baltimore persists but recovery is still possible
By Gregory J. Alexander, Contributing Writer
E
arlier this year, Maryland
Gov. Wes Moore shared
some positive news about
the dramatic decrease in
fatal overdoses in the state in 2024.
In a Feb. 4, 2025, press release, Gov.
Moore cited statistics from Maryland’s Overdose Data Dashboard
(https://health.maryland.gov/dataoffice/Pages/mdh-dashboards.aspx)
that stated that there were “1,553
fatal overdoses reported in Maryland last year—a 38% decrease than
the 2,511 fatal overdoses reported
in 2023. The decrease in fatal overdoses that we’re seeing in Maryland
is historic, and it’s proof that our investments in behavioral health and
substance use care and the incredible
efforts of people all around our state
are paying off,” said Gov. Moore.
“However, we still have work to do.
We are still losing far too many of
our loved ones and neighbors to preventable overdoses, and we will not
let up in our efforts to meet people
where they are and make connections to care.”
In the release, health officials did
caution, however, that “disparities in
overdose are still present among minority communities in Maryland, and
that work must continue to ensure all
communities are connected to care.
Despite making up about 30% of
Maryland’s population, non-Hispanic Black people accounted for 44% of
all overdose deaths in the state since
2022. Since 2023, overdose deaths
among Hispanic people in Maryland
under the age of 25 were higher than
both non-Hispanic white people and
non-Hispanic Black people under the
age of 25.”
Despite the promising developments with the sharp decrease in
overdose deaths – due in part to the
increased access to naloxone – Daniel Stoltzfus, CEO of Helping Up
Mission (HUM, https://helpingupmission.org), a residential spiritual
recovery center in Baltimore, says
that his organization’s intake numbers are actually on the rise.
“I would say the state of addiction
overdoses and overdose deaths are
definitely trending down, which is a
good thing, but there is still a lot of
active addiction in Baltimore and the
demand for recovery services continues,” Stoltzfus says. “Our hope and
our belief is that Baltimore would
one day be known as a place of recovery and transformation, not ad-
diction. Unfortunately, the narrative
around the city is not that right now,
so we’re working with others to try
to change that.”
Stoltzfus notes that one of the major barriers to having someone agree
to get help is an unwillingness or
hesitancy to change. If abusing drugs
and experiencing homelessness has
been the constant in your life for
years, or even decades, many of these
people just accept that this is what
their life is supposed to be.
“In the 12-step process, there is
a concept of surrender, admitting
you’re powerlessness and being ready
to make a change. This is what we
focus on, and we want to be there to
catch them when they are ready,” he
says. HUM utilizes a mobile outreach
Overdose numbers are down
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