Politics & Government
Maryland Governor Visiting Cecil for Heroin Discussion
Governor Martin O'Malley will be in Elkton on Aug. 9.
Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD) plans to make an appearance in Cecil County next month to discuss drugs.
State health officials reported Wednesday that heroin-related deaths increased by 54 percent from 2011–12.
As a result, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene directed all counties to develop plans for responding to overdoses, WBOC reported.
In its plan submitted June 30, Cecil reported that "in Cecil County, illicit drug use ranks among the highest in the state of Maryland," with 4.4 percent of the population engaging in it versus 2.88 in the state on average.
“We are taking action to address this serious public health concern,” Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said in a prepared statement.
Cecil County is hosting a roundtable on the issue at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Cecil County Administration Building (200 Chesapeake Blvd.) in Elkton. It will include law enforcement and public health officials, in addition to the governor.
So far, Prince George's, Baltimore city and county and Wicomico County have scheduled roundtable discussions; O'Malley is only scheduled to attend the meeting in Cecil County as of Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.
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