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July 23, 2024

Media Contact:
Chase Cook, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-8649

Maryland Department of Health launches new overdose data dashboard 

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health today announced the launch of a new tool for combating the overdose crisis: the Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard. The dashboard, which replaces the previous one at StopOverdose.maryland.gov, provides a user-friendly and easy-to-understand visualization of overdose trends throughout the state.

“Overdoses have ripped apart families and left an empty seat at the dinner table for far too many Marylanders,” said Lt. Governor Miller. “For a targeted approach in the fight against this epidemic, we need data and the Maryland overdose dashboard will increase the ability of our partners across the state to reach communities most affected and connect people to the care they so desperately deserve. This is an effort that I’m truly passionate about and eager to champion on behalf of the Moore-Miller administration.”

The Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard includes the following features: 

• Unified Data: The dashboard combines data on fatal overdoses, non-fatal emergency department visits, and EMS naloxone administrations. Users can search this data by zip code.
  

• Timely Data Updates: The dashboard provides the most current data available, reducing the data release period from 90 to 30 days. This allows for more proactive monitoring and response.
  

• Historical Trend Analysis: The dashboard provides historical data at the jurisdictional level, enabling the analysis of community trends over time.
  

• Demographic Insights: The dashboard provides insights across age, race and gender for targeted overdose responses across jurisdictions.
  

“This dashboard will enable Marylanders who are at the forefront of the opioid and overdose crisis, along with the individuals and organizations supporting them, to have broader access to data and trends in overdose, and will further aid in data-driven decision-making in response,” said Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. 

"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. "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."

Based on initial data, fatal overdoses in Maryland have been on the decline in recent years. 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 latest data from the dashboard, which currently includes information up to May of this year, indicates that the decrease in fatal overdoses has continued in 2024.

The Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard is accessible at bit.ly/Overdose​Data.