Annapolis, MD: Marylanders gathered at Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis for the state’s first Substance Use Awareness Advocacy Day rally, hosted by Lieutenant Governor Aruna K. Miller and Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller.
Rally attendees represented a broad and diverse coalition—including community leaders from areas most impacted by the crisis, advocates, representatives from community-based organizations, elected officials, state and local agency leaders, and Marylanders with lived experience of substance use and overdose.
Lieutenant Governor Miller reminded Marylanders that while grief is real, it does not get the final word—action, recovery, and community do. She was joined by Special Secretary Keller, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, members of the Maryland General Assembly, and a representative from the office of Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter - a member of Baltimore’s first Opioid Restitution Advisory Board and Chair of the Baltimore City Council Health and Environment Committee.
“The fight against overdose isn’t easy. It takes time, persistence, and a belief that change is possible,” said Lieutenant Governor Miller. “Because of the people we heard from today, lives are being saved and communities are healing. Together with our partners in the General Assembly, we’re committed to put words into action.”
Rally attendees were invited to share their ideas on how Maryland can strengthen its efforts to prevent overdose. The feedback collected by the Maryland Office of Overdose Response will be shared with the Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Miller, to help inform future strategies and actions.
Special Secretary Keller addressed recent decreases in overdoses in Maryland, noting the collaborative efforts of state and local agencies and community organizations that provide care for people who use drugs. She also highlighted the state’s recently released strategic plan for reducing overdoses in Maryland, which emphasizes five priority areas: prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and public safety.
