Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Aruna Miller, and Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller hosted Maryland’s inaugural Substance Use Awareness Advocacy Day rally on April 2, 2024. Hundreds of Marylanders gathered at Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis to demonstrate their commitment to ending the overdose crisis.

The rally brought together a broad and diverse coalition—community leaders from the hardest-hit areas, advocates, representatives of community-based organizations, elected officials, state and local agency heads, and individuals with lived experience of substance use and overdose, according to a statement from the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

In her remarks, Lieutenant Governor Miller acknowledged the ongoing grief experienced by many Marylanders while calling for action and hope.

“While grief is real, it does not get the final word—action, recovery, and community do,” she said.

Joining LG Miller and Secretary Keller were Comptroller Brooke Lierman, members of the Maryland General Assembly, and a representative from the office of Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter. Councilwoman Porter is a member of Baltimore’s first Opioid Restitution Advisory Board and chairs the City Council’s Health and Environment Committee.

“The fight against overdose isn’t easy. It takes time, persistence, and a belief that change is possible,” said the Lieutenant Governor. “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.”

Attendees were invited to share their ideas on how Maryland can improve overdose prevention efforts. The Maryland Office of Overdose Response will compile and present this feedback to the Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council, chaired by LG Miller, to help shape future strategies and actions.

“We owe it to our communities to keep fighting,” said Special Secretary Keller. “The energy that we saw today from everyday Marylanders demanding continued action to reduce overdose deaths in our state was powerful. The toll that crisis continues to have is immeasurable, and we have to do everything we can to save lives.”

“We reported in our analysis of Maryland’s economy that chronic diseases, including substance use disorder, are barriers to employment. Maryland’s workforce decline mirrors the rise in overdose deaths during the pandemic, and we are still struggling to increase our labor participation rate,” said Comptroller Lierman. “Investing in support for Marylanders struggling with substance use disorder will help restore their sense of well-being, empower them to return to the workforce, and strengthen our state’s economy.”

Recent data reflects a positive trend in overdose-related fatalities across the state. According to Maryland’s Overdose Data Dashboard, there were 1,648 fatal overdoses in 2024, a 34.4 percent decrease from the previous year. Fatal overdoses had surged to historic highs during the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking at 2,800 in 2021.

In response, the Moore-Miller Administration recently unveiled an updated statewide strategy to reduce overdose deaths. The plan focuses on five core priorities: Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, Recovery, and Public Safety.

Additionally, Maryland announced $12.4 million in competitive grants through the Opioid Restitution Fund, which draws from legal settlements related to prescription opioids. The state expects to receive over $650 million from these settlements over the next 15 to 18 years. To date, more than $118 million has already been allocated at the local level.

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