Title
Opioid and Illicit Substance Abuse Epidemic - For the purpose of recognizing that nationwide opioid and illicit substance abuse is an epidemic; supporting educational outreach; and promoting the need for increased funding through Federal, State, and County Intervention Teams to aid in combating the epidemic.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 24-21
Introduced by: Alderwoman Tierney
Co-sponsored by: Alderwoman Pindell Charles, Alderman Gay,
Alderwoman Finlayson, Alderman Schandelmeier, Mayor Buckley,
Alderman Savidge, Alderman Paone
A RESOLUTION concerning
Opioid and Illicit Substance Abuse Epidemic
FOR the purpose of recognizing the nationwide opioid and illicit substance abuse is an epidemic; supporting educational outreach; and promoting the need for increased funding through Federal, State, and County Intervention Teams to aid in combating the epidemic.
WHEREAS, an unprecedented opioid epidemic is ravaging our communities and others across the United States.
WHEREAS, use of and addiction to opioids, alcohol and other illicit substances costs the nation more than $740 billion a year related to healthcare, crime, and lost productivity.
WHEREAS, Governor Hogan declared a state of emergency on March 1, 2017, in response to the heroin, opioid, and fentanyl crisis and created an Opioid Operational Command Center that emphasized a multidisciplinary, multiagency, incident management structure to mobilize and coordinate state and local stakeholders.
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have established a joint Opioid Intervention Team to distribute funds to local jurisdictions and to combine and maximize resources needed to reduce the harmful effects of substance use disorders.
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis formed a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of the Office of Emergency Management, the Mayor’s Office, the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Department of Social Services, and private sector and non-profit community and faith-based organizations.
WHEREAS, prior to 2020, Overdose Free (“ODFree”) Annapolis reported a decrease in overdoses of 22.8% during 2018-2019, however, this trend was severely impacted by the pandemic when overdoses increased by 22.2% during 2019-2021, and during the calendar year of 2020 alone the City of Annapolis experienced a 120% increase of fatal overdoses.
WHEREAS, according to provisional data released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistic (NCHS), more than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020, which is a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths that were projected for 2019.
WHEREAS, in response to the growing crisis, on July 13, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Dr. Rahul Gupta, also known as the “Drug Czar” to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
WHEREAS, communities throughout America lack the resources needed to combat this public health crisis that while adversely affecting communities of color, exacerbates racial and economic inequities and diverts limited resources.
WHEREAS, opioid use disorders are life threatening, chronic medical conditions that destroy lives.
WHEREAS, there is a need to increase education about and improve access to medications that save lives by reversing overdoses and treatments that support recovery and to provide outreach and education especially to children in an effort to break the cycle of generational addiction within family units.
WHEREAS, the opioid epidemic affects our communities, devastates families, and overwhelms our health care, social services, law enforcement, and judicial systems.
WHEREAS, all City of Annapolis public safety services (Police, Fire, and Emergency Management) are responding to calls for assistance involving drug abuse and overdoses in our community. The Annapolis Fire Department is averaging one call a day involving a drug overdose, poison, or substance abuse, of which 42% are suspected to involve opioids, and that percentage does not including unreported cases prevented by Narcan.
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis recognizes that the opioid crisis in our communities is an escalating crisis and should be the top priority for increased funding through Federal, State, and County Intervention Teams to aid in combating the epidemic.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City recognizes that opioid and illicit substance abuse is a disease and that continued Federal, State, and County grants are essential to funding the City’s overwhelmed emergency response staff who provide the life-saving services aimed at supporting prevention, access to treatment, enforcement, education, and recovery.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis supports educational outreach especially to children in high-risk environments so that the cycle of generational addiction is broken and child deaths caused by accidental ingestion of illicit drugs is prevented.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis supports continued collaboration between all public safety officials, City departments, and the Office of the Mayor toward the long-term strategy to end drug addiction and overdoses through initiatives such as: the Office of Emergency Management’s “ODFree” Annapolis; the Fire Department’s “Your Life Matters” program; the Office of the Mayor’s “Naptown Anti-Dope Move[meant]”; and the Police Department’s “Substance Use Disorder Program”.
EXPLANATION
Underlining indicates matter added.
[Strikethrough] indicates matter stricken.