Last month I attended Governor Hogan’s Maryland Remembers service in honor of those lives lost to impaired driving, where in closing, one of the speakers said, “zero is the only acceptable number.” That quote has stayed with me ever since as it applies to so much of what I see as a prosecutor.Howard County closed out the 2017 year with 57 fatal opiod overdoses, 14 more than 2016. In the first month of 2018, we have lost two people in Howard County to fatal overdoses. These are troubling statistics when zero is the only acceptable number.Governor Hogan declared a state of emergency last March to help further efforts towards prevention, treatment and enforcement. The Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) was established to coordinate and collaborate efforts between State agencies and local jurisdictions. Having attended an OOCC meeting and participated in its day of Promising Practices Swap and Share last month, I can personally attest to the fact that jurisdictions across the State are working to find solutions. Howard County should continue to focus on three primary areas. Prevention. Treatment. Enforcement.Serving on Howard County’s Overdose Fatality Review Team has given me a glimpse into our county’s tragic fatal drug and alcohol
