• Baltimore has been the city hit with the worst illicit drug use.

• Over the past six years, nearly 6,000 people have died, and the death rate from 2018 to 2022 has doubled—times higher than that of any other large city.

• To understand the reasons behind this concern, an investigation was conducted.

• The investigative reports include the following key findings:

1. Even though the overdose rate has been high, the rise of fentanyl drove the rate to higher levels.

2. Three people die on average every day, and the fatal overdose rate has also quadrupled since 2013

• Regarding addressing the issues of public health, Baltimore was at the forefront of innovation.

• However, due to various other issues, the public health response to drug use has been disjointed.

• Baltimore had even won an award in 2018 from officials of a national health group.

• However, currently, fewer people are getting medication and are being revived by emergency workers, which has led to a continued increase in drug use.

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