Westover, Md. – Motorists driving along Route 13 southbound will now see a new sign in front of the Maryland State Police Barrack ‘X’ in Westover. This week, a sign to mark the number of opioid related overdoses and fatalities was erected along the highway by members of the Somerset County Opioid United Team (SCOUT). “The sign’s purpose is to bring community awareness that the opioid epidemic greatly affects all of us in the county”, states Yvonne Harris, Local Addictions Authority Director at the Somerset County Health Department. It will be updated on a regular basis.
To date, 17 opioid related overdoses and 5 deaths have occurred in the county compared to 26 opioid related overdoses and three fatalities reported in 2017. This awareness campaign is one of many initiatives being used to battle the opioid crisis. In September, Somerset County will ‘Rain Purple’ with special activities throughout the month. A new website dedicated to this ‘purple’ initiative has been created and can be found at www.somersetrainspurple.com. Updates and community activities focusing on the opioid crisis will be posted on the site.
For more information on treatment and ways to help battle the opioid crisis call the Somerset Recovery & Re-Entry Center at 410.621.3739 or visit the health department’s websites or Facebook pages at https://somersethealth.org or https://unmaskaddiction.org.
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