Joe Ryan, Head of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy held a question and answer session with the following national, state and local leaders:
- Boyd Rutherford, Lt. Governor of Md
- Barry Glassman, Harford County Executive
- Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States
- Clay Stamp, Governor’s Task Force on Heroin/MEMA
- Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office
- Barbara Canavan, Harford County Public Schools Superintendent
- Joe Ryan, Administrator for Harford County Office
Takeaways from the Meeting:
- 6 people die each day in Maryland due to drug overdose
- 23k people in Maryland went to the emergency room last year for non-fatal overdose, this year we are already at 18k
- The prescription drug epidemic affects everyone and every town and city in America
- Most 3rd grades can tell why not to smoke but can’t tell you the dangers of taking someone else’s prescription drugs
- Increased efforts on addressing the emotional well-being of children tby teaching strategies in conflict management and stress reduction. Drug use and relapse happen during stressful periods. Learning healthy behaviors to manage difficult periods in life is key.
- Parents are on the front line. It falls to us to create a loving, listening environment where conversation can happen.
- Harford County is leading the way with collaboration between agencies and prevention awareness.
