It’s arguably Baltimore’s largest health crisis: Drug overdoses have taken the lives of 6,360 people in the city since 2010. An even larger number of deaths — more than 17,000— have involved drugs in some way.

Reporters working for The Baltimore Banner and The New York Times are investigating the problem and we want to hear from people who have personal experience. We are especially interested in talking to older Black Baltimoreans, or their families, who have struggled with drug use.

From January to May of this year, 449 people have died from overdoses in Baltimore, the most recent data available shows. That’s up from 415 in the first five months of 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Older Black residents have bore the brunt of the overdose crisis in recent years. Fatalities have increased by more than 260% among Black people ages 55 and older since 2016 in Maryland.

If you have been addicted to drugs, tried treatment or had an overdose, please reach out. We want to talk to people of any age and their families.

You can call and leave a message at a special voicemail set up for this purpose: 212-556-8900.

Or you can answer the questions using the form below. We may use your contact information to follow up with you. We will not publish your name, or any part of your submission, without contacting you first.