Southern Maryland Overdose Statistics For 2023: Fentanyl Is Our Latest Battle

CALIFORNIA, Md. – Addiction is something that has reached the furthest corners of our community. Everyone knows someone who is or has struggled with addiction in one form or another. Unfortunately, heavy and consistent use of substances can lead to death and it’s usually accidental. 

Candice D’Agostino, the Coordinator at Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, Inc., made the following statements, “The misuse of substances changes over time.  In some cases, it’s the cost/availability of the drug and/or the ‘high’ a person gets from its use. If there’s a drug that’s cheaper and provides ‘an equal or better’ high, then it becomes the drug of choice. We saw this with opioid pills vs. heroin.  As the cost of opioid pills increased, heroin became a cheaper alternative. This is the same with Fentanyl. It’s supply and demand. As for those who sell drugs and whether they care about killing people, the answer is no. Those who sell drugs do not care about the health of those they are selling to.  Should that person die, the dealer moves to the next customer.” 

This explains the spike in fentanyl use in various drugs as seen by the chart below. 

Chart courtesy of https://health.maryland.gov 

Fentanyl was first synthesized in Belgium by Paul Janssen under the label of his relatively newly formed Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1959. It was developed by screening chemicals similar to pethidine (meperidine) for opioid activity. The widespread use of fentanyl triggered the production of fentanyl citrate (the salt formed by combining fentanyl and citric acid in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio). Fentanyl citrate entered medical use as a general anesthetic in 1968, manufactured by McNeil Laboratories under the trade name Sublimaze. [1] 

In the mid-1990s, Janssen Pharmaceutica developed and introduced into clinical trials the Duragesic patch, which is a formulation of an inert alcohol gel infused with select fentanyl doses, which are worn to provide constant administration of the opioid over a period of 48 to 72 hours. After a set of successful clinical trials, Duragesic fentanyl patches were introduced into medical practice.[1] 

The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from the DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose. [2] 

Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. [2] 

For the tri-county area, the majority of the drugs we see come from the Baltimore/Annapolis area. They make their way down here via smaller suppliers who often have another group of suppliers dealing on the streets and out of their homes. 

The trend looks to be at a steady incline and a lot of overdoses are never reported. With health departments giving out Narcan (naloxone) to civilians, overdoses can be treated quickly and discreetly wherever the user may be.  

Narcan is a nasal spray, an over-the-counter medicine used to treat an opioid overdose emergency. Narcan works by rapidly reversing the opioid’s effects. Naran should be given as soon as possible when an opioid overdose is suspected, and then the patient should also receive emergency medical care immediately, even if they wake up. [3] 

For St. Mary’s County, the Sheriff’s Office has reported suspected non-fatal overdoses to be 103 and the suspected fatal to be 20. Their 2022 numbers reflect suspected non-fatal overdoses at 96 and suspected fatal at 14. 

In Charles County, the Sheriff’s Office shows reported suspected non-fatal overdoses at 56 and the suspected fatal at 22. The average age for all incidents is 42 years old. 

It should also be noted that certain months out of the year yield higher statistics. Major holidays tend to be the most dangerous months including Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. As this year still has months to go, the statistics will change and heighten. The release date of this article is the most recent statistics. 

A final thought on this issue is to not judge or condemn someone for addiction. It is a treatable condition that is often paired with a mental health disorder. Kindness and reaching out a helping hand can save a life. All lives are worth saving and no one is a lost cause. It’s never too late to get help. 

If you or someone you know would like help for their addiction, please use the resources below. 

For those in Calvert County seeking treatment and recovery services, we encourage them to contact Calvert County Behavioral Health at 410-535-3079, Calvert Crisis Response at 1-877-467-5628, and/or Recovery Support Services at 410-535-3079, ext. 35 to be connected to services.   Residents can also visit www.Hope4Calvert.org a website that provides information on local prevention, treatment and recovery activities and programs.  

For those in St. Mary’s County seeking treatment and recovery services, the Sheriff’s Office has recently welcomed Ms. Kassandra Lyster as the new Heroin Coordinator. She will be working in close partnership with the Health Department and its personnel. If citizens have questions or are in need of additional resources, they can reach out to her at Kassandra.lyster@stmaryscountymd.gov and we can assist in directing them to the Health Department which has access to outreach programs, peer recovery specialists, and counselors.