Maryland's governor dedicated more than $22 million to combat the state's opioid epidemic.
The funds are being made available by Maryland's Opioid Operational Command Center, Department of Health, and the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention.
Eighty percent of the money will be delivered across the state's 24 local jurisdictions. The state will also use $2 million to establish a 24-hour crisis center in Baltimore for community members suffering from addiction.
The rest of the funds will go to other initiatives designed to curb opioid overdoses, like increasing the number of beds in residential drug treatment centers. The city's health department will also receive $750,000 to buy 20,000 doses of naloxone and $830,429 to fund treatment programs and other initiatives designed to curb the rate of opioid overdoses, according to The Baltimore Sun.
"This new funding will make real differences in people's lives as we work together to turn the tide in this deadly fight," said Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
City Health Commissioner Leana Wen, MD, told the Sun the city should receive more money to fight the overdose crisis.
"We thank the state for heeding our call for help," Dr. Wen said. "These resources are an important step in the right direction. But we need far more funding, and so we look forward to working with the state to secure additional funding that we need in this public health epidemic."
In 2016, there were about 2,089 overdose deaths in Maryland. Nearly 700 of those deaths occurred in Baltimore, according to the Sun.
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