During 2018, through the implementation and evaluation of an Opioid Crisis Response plan, Howard County continued to address the opioid crisis in a strategic and coordinated manner. Using data and lessons learned from previous efforts, the County continues to thoughtfully examine how best to address its five critical goals:
- Reduced rate of overdose death
- Reduced rate of non-fatal overdoses
- Increased rate of Howard County residents entering treatment for substance use disorder
- Reduced number of emergency department visits for opioid related incidents
- Reduced rate of opioids prescribed to patients
The County’s aggressive approach to tackling the opioid crisis resulted in a 25.5% reduction in opioid-attributable fatalities in 2018. While the County is encouraged by the reduction in fatalities and has made progress with addressing its other goals, the work is not done. Overdoses continued to occur, with a 9.9% increase in non-fatal overdoses over the last year. The County will continue to work collaboratively to address all critical goals, with an increased emphasis on substance use prevention and connecting individuals to substance use treatment.
Data at a Glance



