I appreciated The Baltimore Banner’s recent reporting on the mass overdose tied to a suspected “bad batch” of opioids (‘Focusing on keeping people alive’: Baltimore reels after at least 27 hospitalized in mass overdose, July 11, 2025) and the policy responses now under discussion. For some, this was a shocking story. But for those of us in neighborhoods like Park Heights in West Baltimore, it’s our everyday reality.

Fentanyl was involved in nearly 90% of overdose deaths in Maryland between June and December of last year. In communities already stretched thin by disinvestment and neglect, the toll is devastating.

I’ve seen this crisis unfold not only in my neighborhood but in my own family. Someone I love has grappled with addiction for as long as I can remember. The absence of compassionate, accessible care has left wounds that ripple far beyond the individual.

Mayor Brandon Scott and Del. Jheanelle Wilkins are right — we need bold, evidence-based interventions that meet people where they are. Supervised consumption sites are one such solution.

These are medically supervised spaces where people can use drugs safely, with trained staff ready to intervene in case of an overdose. Cities like Vancouver and New York have shown that these sites reduce deaths, lower disease transmission, and connect people to long-term treatment. They don’t increase drug use. They save lives.

As part of my graduate capstone project, I studied how Baltimore could implement this model. Vancouver’s Insite facility reduced fatal overdoses by 35% in the surrounding area and has never had a death on-site.

Maryland’s HB 845, which would authorize pilot overdose prevention sites, is a promising step. Still, the bill did not make it out of committee during the 2025 session, reflecting how stigma and political hesitation still stand in the way. Without funding and meaningful community engagement, its full potential may never be realized.

Stigma has no place in public health. If someone were having a heart attack, we’d help them without judgment. That same urgency and dignity should guide our response to overdoses.

We already know what works. Now we need the courage to act.

Isaiah Griffith, Baltimore

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