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"Safe Stations" Drug Treatment Program Gets Big Turnout

Anne Arundel County

BROOKLYN, Md. (AP) - Officials in Maryland say more than 200 people have shown up at fire and police stations in Anne Arundel County seeking treatment for drug addiction since the county began its "Safe Stations" program six months ago.
 
The Baltimore Sun reports that about 60 percent of those seeking help entered 28-day inpatient treatment programs in the county.
 
Officials say the goal of Safe Stations is to remove barriers for people seeking help for heroin and other opiate additions. The program offers counseling, expedited treatment and coordination with other agencies to get people into treatment.
 
The director of the Maryland Opioid Operational Command Center says he is encouraging other jurisdictions to take a close look at Safe Stations.
 
More than 100 people have died from overdoses in the county so far this year.
 

 

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.