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Opioid Overdose Deaths Continue To Climb During Pandemic

Graffiti of the word "Hope," on a cement block on North Avenue in Baltimore
Elvert Barnes
Opioid overdose deaths have continued to rise during the pandemic. Credit: Elvert Barnes/Flickr

Opioid overdose deaths climbed last year and continue to edge up. So, what happens when a pandemic and an epidemic collide? We ask addiction medicine specialist Dr. Yngvild Olsen

Then, Edgar Wiggins takes stock of 29 years leading Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. He describes how it works to divert some 9-1-1 calls to mental-health professionals and how showing up to listen can often calm things down.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.