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Maryland Heroin Task Force Releases Final Recommendations

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Heroin deaths are reaching epidemic levels in Maryland. Now a special governor-appointed task force releases new ideas about how to stop the problem.

Meghan McCorkell has more on what they want to see.

That task force has come up with 33 new recommendations they hope could save more lives in Maryland.

"Your child is sort of taken over by this drug. It's not what you pictured," Linda Williams said.

Eight years ago, Williams lost her daughter to a heroin overdose--something that's become all too common.

"It breaks my heart that so many young people have had to die for this to finally get noticed," said Williams.

Now Williams is part of an emergency task force, formed by the governor, focusing on how to stop the overdose epidemic.

"There's no one silver bullet to solve the entire problem, but it's a holistic approach that we're going to take," Governor Hogan said.

In the first half of 2015, 340 overdose deaths were reported in Maryland--compared to 119 back in 2010--a 186 percent increase.

"We need serious action, significant action, and immediately," said Tracey Myers-Preston, task force member.

Among those actions the task force calls for: boosting overdose prevention, enhancing the quality of care and expanding access to treatment.

"Children have different needs than adults. We need different levels of care, different kinds of care," said Myers-Preston.

The growing epidemic also has police using different enforcement methods.

Earlier this month, the Harford County Sheriff's Office arrested ten people during a heroin traffic checkpoint.

As for Linda Williams, she hopes more parents are educated about the dangers of heroin.

"If I'd only known that heroin was stronger than love, cause they'd all be alive still if we would have known. We could have done something," she said.

Now she is doing something to try and save lives.

The task force has been meeting since February. The governor will now review its final report.

Some of the panel's recommendations require legislative action, including strengthening penalties for those caught dealing heroin.

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