CONTINUED SHARP DROP IN DRUG-RELATED DEATHS IN BALTIMORE ATTRIBUTED TO TREATMENT AND HARM REDUCTION MEASURES:

The Baltimore Sun 1 July reported that the number of drug-related deaths in the city dropped by a third between 2007 an 2008, from 281 to 176. “'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.'" He also credited a variety of harm reduction measures, including teaching drug users to reverse opiate overdose by administering Narcan.

But there’s also a decidedly negative side to the story: “Some 74,000 people needed substance abuse treatment last year, according to state estimates, but Warren's organization was only able to reach 16,000 of them …” Full story