Officials point to collaboration, prevention, and treatment as key factors in the decline.
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Westminster, MD (JK) – Carroll County, Maryland continues to see a notable reduction in drug overdoses and overdose deaths, according to recent data from 2024 and 2025. Local officials say a coordinated, multi-agency strategy has played a major role in the improvement.
One milestone came in November 2025, when the county recorded its first month with zero fatal overdoses in nearly a decade.
Key Facts:
- November 2025 marked the first month in almost 10 years with zero fatal overdoses
- Total overdoses dropped 36% from January–October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
- Fatal overdoses during that period fell from 35 in 2023 to 15 in 2024
- A total of 24 overdose deaths were recorded between September 2023 and August 2024
Officials credit expanded access to Naloxone, data-driven collaboration between public health and law enforcement, school-based prevention programs, peer recovery support, and the county’s Drug Treatment Court.
While the numbers are encouraging, health leaders warn that illicit fentanyl remains a serious threat and say continued prevention and intervention efforts are critical to sustaining the progress.
By Jimmy Key