Despite the common misperception that Fentanyl is a local problem particular to the City of Baltimore, the reality is that this issue is prevalent throughout Maryland.  As a resident of Anne Arundel County, I was shocked to see that in my relatively peaceful backyard, local law enforcement had arrested 21 suspects in a drug trafficking ring, seizing over 10 kilograms of xylazine, cocaine, and heroin.[1]Fentanyl, a synthetic version of heroin, is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.[2]In light of its high potency, Fentanyl commonly results in overdose deaths and in Maryland fatalities caused by Fentanyl jumped 42 percent from 2016 to 2017 — from 1,119 to 1,594.[3]

In response to the rise of Fentanyl-related deaths, Maryland has made numerous efforts in attempt to combat this issue. In fact, in 2017 Governor Hogan testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to highlight some of Maryland’s efforts.[4]Furthermore, Gov. Hogan emphasized to the Senate Committee that more needs to be done on the federal level, pointing out that the majority of the deadly Fentanyl is imported from China and smuggled in from Mexico.[5]Amongst Maryland’s efforts to combat the rise in Fentanyl, two seem of most significance. First, Maryland has increased access to Naloxone, which is a life-saving drug that can reverse opioid drug overdoses. Second, the creation and grant of $50 million in funding for the Opioid Operational Command Center enables state and local agencies to coordinate efforts in combatting the Fentanyl crisis on a statewide basis.[6]Furthermore, through the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, health care providers throughout Maryland are now required to participate in an extensive record-keeping reform in an effort to improve providers’ ability to manage the benefits and risks of controlled substance medications and identify potentially harmful drug interactions.[7]

Taken collectively, these efforts demonstrate that Maryland is dedicated in combating the Fentanyl crisis. However, despite these efforts, the first half of 2018 continues to reflect an increase in opioid-related deaths.[8]Statistics collected from January through June already document 1,038 Fentanyl-related deaths, which amounts to nearly 65% of all Fentanyl-related deaths throughout the entirety of 2017.[9]Clearly, more needs to be done to effectively remove drugs like Fentanyl from our Maryland streets, but what policies and efforts will actually accomplish such a feat continues to baffle the legislature and policymakers therein.

Christian Zeleny is a 3L at the University of Baltimore and will graduate in May of 2019. Christian is from Anne Arundel County, Maryland and currently resides there. For the past five years, Christian has worked on a part time basis at Blackford & Flohr, LLC, a law firm located in Severna Park, Maryland. When Christian is not at the law firm or the law school, he is most likely spending his time on the soccer field, coaching and training youth soccer players, as an employee for Coerver United.

He can be reached at christian.zeleny@ubalt.edu

[1]Phil Davis, Police charge 21 in alleged Anne Arundel County drug trafficking ring, Capital Gazette, 2018, available athttps://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/ac-cn-heroin-bust-20181030-story.html (last visited Nov. 11, 2018).

[2]National Institute on Drug Abuse, DrugFacts: Fentanyl, 2016, available at https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/fentanyl (last visited Nov. 11, 2018).

[3]Rachel Chason, Fentanyl-related deaths continue ‘staggering’ rise in Maryland, The Washington Post, Jul. 26, 2018, available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/fentanyl-related-deaths-continue-staggering-rise-in-maryland/2018/07/26/cd33f406-90fc-11e8-8322 b5482bf5e0f5_story.html (last visited Nov. 11, 2018).

[4]WBALTV, Hogan: Greater federal support needed to fight opioids, Mar. 8, 2018, available athttps://www.wbaltv.com/article/hogan-greater-federal-support-needed-to-fight-opioids/19180214 (last visited Nov. 11, 2018).

[5]Id.

[6]Id.

[7]Id.

[8]Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Department of Health, 2018 Quarterly Report: 2^ndQuarter, 2018, available at https://bha.health.maryland.gov/OVERDOSE_PREVENTION/Pages/Data-and-Reports.aspx (last visited Nov. 11, 2018).

[9]Id.