The Maryland Department of Health launched the Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard on July 23, a new tool designed to help combat the overdose crisis. The previous dashboard was re-envisioned to make it easier for users to navigate and understand overdose trends throughout the state.
“We have received extensive feedback from our local and community partners about their need for the data and visualization,” said Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller in a press release. “Community input played a crucial role in the development of this dashboard at every stage, and we are thrilled to provide Maryland residents with a new tool to assist our partners in responding more promptly to emerging trends.”
Users can search data on fatal overdoses, non-fatal emergency department visits and emergency medical services naloxone administrations by zip code. The dashboard also provides insights across age, race and gender for targeted overdose responses across jurisdictions in order to facilitate better analysis of community trends over time.
The data release period was also reduced from 90 to 30 days, allowing for more proactive monitoring and response with the most current data available. In a statement released by the Maryland Department of Health, Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott stated that the new dashboard will further support data-driven decision-making in overdose crisis response.
Fatal overdoses have declined in the past two years, according to initial data from the Maryland Department of Health. In 2023, there were 2,513 fatal overdoses in the state, marking a 2.5 percent decrease from the 2,578 fatal overdoses recorded in 2022.
The most recent dashboard data shows that the decline in fatal overdoses has continued in 2024. The dashboard currently includes information up to May of this year.
In Montgomery County, efforts to combat the overdose crisis, particularly in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), are still ongoing. One of Student Member of the Board Praneel Suvarna’s priorities for the upcoming school year is addressing the drug crisis in MCPS by providing Narcan—a critical tool for opioid-overdose intervention—to every security guard within the school system.
