Baltimore Credits Treatment for Decline in Overdose Deaths

Baltimore Credits Treatment for Decline in Overdose Deaths
July 9, 2009

News Summary

Increased availability of addiction treatment, improved outreach, and educating addicts on harm-reduction techniques have helped cut the rate of drug overdoses for the second straight year in Baltimore, the Baltimore Sun reported July 1.

Overdose rates in the city are now at their lowest level since 1995, with deaths down from 281 in 2007 to 176 in 2008, according to the Baltimore Health Department.

"Short and sweet: Treatment works," said Gregory Warren, executive director of Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems. "There are literally hundreds of people alive today because of what's happening ... If you were able to offer substance abuse treatment to more people, we would be able to continue this positive trend. Of course, we'd like to get to treatment on demand. But that's a tall order."

Baltimore has invested more than $1 million in a program to treat heroin addicts with buprenorphine, and the city's Staying Alive program educates users on avoiding overdoses and provides them with the anti-overdose drug Narcan.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Diane on 10 Jul 09 04:57 PM EDT

This article is very similar to the one a month ago about prescription heroin in Canada and Germany. Although this program might mitigate the effects of heroin addiction, it is NOT A/D treatment, although it might be medical tx. The fundamental question remains: do we favor the harm reduction model of Europe or the abstinence model of the US? I think the studies indicate that neither one reduces actual heroin use, but that the European model is less punitive and possibly more respectful of the addict. However, it's goal is NOT reducing the use of heroin, just making it safer. Is this drug tx?

Posted by JD Anticoli on 14 Jul 09 02:06 PM EDT

Our learning becomes impeded when we are no longer led by experience but by ideas; what should be rather than what is. It is important that I keep any prejudicial preferences or philosophical dictums at bay when it comes to choosing the best treatment protocol for each of my clients. Dr Vincent Dole, a pioneer in methadone treatment and for several years a trustee on the General Service Board of A/A, made the following statement: The source of strength in AA is its single-mindedness. The mission of AA is to help alcoholics. AA limits what it demands of itself and its associates, and its success lies in its limited target. To believe that the process that is successful in one line guarantees success for another would be a serious mistake. It would be more reasonable to consider heroin addiction as a medical problem separate from alcoholism just as a person with both heart disease and alcoholism could receive digitalis from his doctor and still be welcomed into an AA group.

Posted by Boogie on 15 Jul 09 05:39 PM EDT

Why is the treatment/recovery industry in America, sobeit, more concerned with combinning drug and alcohol treatment anyhow. This is the reason we have so liitle good results. After all, both drug use or alcohol use is a choice! If adults choose to use any substance and it kills them, they made that choice. We as taxpayers need only be concerned if the knuckleheads break the law and when that happens we put them in jail, simple. Don't anyone get the jail thing yet. Break the law go to jail, not to treatment. Why are we paying for both. Close all the drug and alcohol treatment programs funded by tax payer dollars and we wouldn't have a bigger budget problem as we have in California. We could save billions of $$$$. Anyone want to try that! Or do we continue giving the law breaker a get out of jail card called AA / NA or 12step program funded by taxpayer dollars.

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