Summit to address the opioid crisis
Frederick County continues to face an opioid crisis that has ripped apart communities across the nation. More than 47,600 people died across the country in 2017 from an opioid-related overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In Frederick County in 2018, there were 55 fatal opioid-related overdoses and 279 non-fatal overdoses. Last week, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick County Health Department and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce held a joint summit to raise awareness of the opioid problem. On this week’s episode, producer Heather Mongilio went to the summit and spoke with some of the leaders there. Jay Hessler, a coordinator for the health department’s local addiction authority, said the summit brought awareness as well as empowerment for those who may be struggling Later in the episode, features reporter Kate Masters joins to discuss the upcoming edition of 72 Hours.