This Year, All Md. Schools Legally Required To Stock Anti-Overdose Drug

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- When Maryland schools are back in session next month, each one will be required to stock the overdose-reversal drug known as Naloxone.

The bill requiring this is called the Start Talking Maryland Act, and it became law July 1.

It also has requirements involving drug education in schools.

This comes as Maryland, like many other states, is seeing rising numbers of opioid-related deaths. In just the first half of 2016, drug overdose deaths surpassed the total number of drug-related deaths from 2015.

And the total number of drug and alcohol overdose deaths in 2016 was a record-setting 2,089, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The problem has gotten so bad that Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and started an Opioid Operational Command Center this year.

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