Harden: More results, less politics: blunting the opioid crisis in Maryland’s rural communities

Amid the aroma of deep fried Oreo cookies caked in powdered sugar and the shrieks of middle schoolers on carnival rides, there is no better place to learn about the opioid crisis than from the first responders working the county fairs this summer. Public health officials, law enforcement and addiction counselors all tell the same story: Opioids are killing rural communities in Maryland. The COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, widespread job loss and increasing supplies of illicit drugs are fueling the already raging fires of opioid addiction and death.