Drug, Alcohol Use Jumps 16 Percent During Pandemic In Maryland

MARYLAND — The recently released 2020 annual report covering the opioid crisis in Maryland paints a picture of a 16.6 percent increase in drug and alcohol use that officials attribute to the coronavirus pandemic. Across the country, the pandemic disrupted treatment and recovery support systems and has led to economic stress, despair and uncertainty, especially among vulnerable populations, the report noted.

In 2020, there were 2,773 unintentional intoxication deaths involving all types of drugs and alcohol in Maryland, an increase of 16.6 percent from 2019. Opioids were involved in 90.1 percent of all substance use-related intoxication fatalities in 2020, a higher annual proportion of such deaths than at any other time during the opioid crisis.

There was a total of 2,499 opioid-related fatalities last year, an increase of 18.7 percent from 2019. This increase was largely driven by the growing prevalence of fentanyl, which was involved in 93.1 percent of all opioid-related deaths, a historic high. 2,326 overdose deaths involved fentanyl in 2020, an increase of 20.7 percent.

There also was an increase in deaths involving prescription opioids for the first time since 2016. There were 445 fatalities reported, a 20.6 percent increase compared to 369 reported in the prior year. Heroin was the only major substance category that saw a decrease. Heroin-related deaths decreased by 25.2 percent, a continuation of a trend that began in 2017.

All 24 local jurisdictions in Maryland reported opioid-related intoxication fatalities in 2020:

• Baltimore City (954 deaths)
• Baltimore County (353 deaths)
• Anne Arundel County (224 deaths)
• Prince George’s County (158 deaths)
• Montgomery County (108 deaths)
• Harford County (74 deaths)
• Howard County (52 deaths)

“This has been a challenging year for us all, and Americans suffering from substance use disorder have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said. “Our administration will not waver one iota in its efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Maryland. Just as we have made tremendous progress against COVID-19, I am confident that we will work together to reverse the recent trend in opioid-related fatalities.”

The Opioid Operational Command Center and the Maryland Department of Health jointly released the 2020 annual report on the opioid crisis in Maryland.