By MarylandReporter.com/Capital News Service, a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
BY STELLA CANINO-QUIÑONES | Capital News Service
Maryland 2026 - Opioid-related overdose deaths in Maryland have decreased by 57% since an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Capital News Service data analysis.
Maryland had over 2,500 opioid-related-overdose deaths in 2020, according to the data. The state’s total for last year was just over 1,000.
The reduction in overdose deaths is the result of a mix of expanded availability of fentanyl test strips, substance abuse treatments and naloxone– a medicine that reverses an opioid overdose– as well as increased funds for affected communities through the Opioid Restitution Fund, according to Maryland health officials.
The state follows a nationwide trend in the decrease of opioid deaths. The United States recorded over 82,000 opioid deaths in 2022, the highest in the past ten years, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provisional data. Opioid deaths were around 45,000 in 2024, a 34% decrease since the nationwide peak.
“Maryland continues to show that our partnerships with local communities are invaluable in our efforts to reduce overdoses across the state,” said Gov. Wes Moore in a January press release about the reduction in overdose deaths. “We have more work to do—but by working together, we will continue to fight for those seeking recovery.”
