Drug and alcohol-related fatalities in Maryland have increased since the pandemic, and minority communities were hit the hardest, according to a recent report.

Between January and September of 2020, there were 2,025 unintentional intoxication deaths involving all types of drugs and alcohol in Maryland, a 12.1 percent increase from the same period in 2019, according to a report from the state’s Opioid Operational Command Center.

Maryland is not alone in its increase in overdose fatalities, as the Centers for Disease Control reported a 16.9 percent increase nationally in reported fatalities from all types of drugs between May 2019 and May 2020.

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