In late February, newly elected Governor Larry Hogan declared heroin a statewide crisis in need of immediate attention.

Earlier in December, Hogan said that he planned on declaring heroin a state of emergency as soon as he was sworn into office, hoping to gain greater federal funding that way. Maryland has received a donation of about 5,000 doses of an overdose antidote for heroin from a company called Kaleo. The Republican governor also announced that $500,000 of a federal grant will be used to expand re-entry programs to help inmates leaving prison stay off of heroin.

“I think this is important, because we don’t want Maryland’s reputation to be damaged by heroin, which it already has been on a national level, and that’s just disappointing,” said senior Becky Jump. “It’s also important because the repercussions of using drugs affect not only yourself but also your family. I think it’s good that the Governor has announced a war on heroin.”

According to WBAL news, there were 464 heroin-related overdose deaths in 2013, representing a 95 percent increase in heroin-related overdose deaths since 2010. Preliminary findings for 2014 show overall heroin-related overdose deaths have continued to rise and will outpace those in 2013 by about 20 percent. According to Hogan, Maryland has one of the worst heroin problems in the United States.

“Heroin poses a two part challenge. First, a lot of crime stems from people’s need to get their fix, and two, it’s effects are far reaching,” expressed senior Tyler Ziegler. “Even if someone hasn’t yet died from heroin, it changes them into a monster and that’s a loss that their families must endure forever”.

And these tragedies haven’t left Harford County untouched. Mt. Zion United Methodist Pastor Craig McLaughlin lost his daughter to a heroin overdose just last year. Since losing their 19-year-old daughter Hannah, the McLaughlins have been invited for interviews at several news stations, including WJZ and ABC news. They have also received invitations to speak at schools through the Sheriff’s Office and Office of Drug Control Policy, and presented at North Harford back in October during PSAT testing.

“Our message is that addiction can happen to anyone; addiction sneaks up on you before you realize it. It takes over a person’s life to such a degree that the person becomes a completely different than they had been,” expressed Mclaughlin. “Addiction is so overwhelmingly strong that the addict will do absolutely anything to get more and more money day after day to feed the addiction. Prescription pain pills are extremely addictive and dangerous, killing 50 people a day in the United States. And prescription pain pill addiction is only a very short step away from heroin addiction.”

According to McLaughlin, the rapid increase in heroin addiction is a result of the huge increase in prescription pain pill addiction.

“These two addictions are causing immense pain in families here in Maryland and across the country. The addict’s overwhelming need for money results in increasing crime rates. Overdose deaths are soaring, bringing so much sorrow. Here in Harford County, most middle schoolers have access to heroin,” shared Pastor McLaughlin. “Just the other day I learned of an eleven year old girl here in Harford County who is addicted to heroin. We truly have a crisis.”

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office has recently begun sending detectives to every reported overdose, fatal or non-fatal. According to McLaughlin, a lot of useful information was being missed without detectives present. Also, the Sheriff’s Office has established a Community Work Force to provide input on all policies related to drugs, addiction, overdoses, etc. McLaughlin has been asked to serve on the Work Force by the Sheriff.

“ I am very hopeful that the State Task Force on Heroin will help us to move forward in combating this epidemic. It is very clear to me that currently we do not have satisfactory answers to the problem of heroin addiction. The national statistic that is so glaring is that 97% of all persons who are addicted to heroin will die of heroin addiction,” said McLaughlin. “Obviously if we just keep doing more of the same we will not get any better results. When I spoke at the Task Force’s first public meeting I cited that statistic and challenged the Task Force to think way outside the box as they search for recommendations to the Governor.”

Already Hogan has signed two executive orders, one that establishes the Inter-Agency Heroin and Opioid Coordinating Council that will pave the way for multiple departments to combine resources and coordinate responses. The second order creates the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force that Pastor McLaughlin mentioned above.

“Let’s be very clear, addiction is a disease and we will not be able to just arrest our way out of this crisis,” Hogan said in an interview with WBAL.

“To any young person who is doing any drugs: it’s too dangerous. You’re gambling with your life. It’s not worth it…You cannot afford to do the least possible thing that might work to get you clean and sober. It won’t work. You are going to have to do the most radical things you can possibly do if you want to survive,” emphasized McLaughlin. “50% effort won’t work. 90% effort won’t work. Only absolute 100% effort will get you free…”