Md. Gov. Hogan outlines plan to fight surge in fatal heroin overdoses

By BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

Hogan outlined a plan Tuesday to fight rising fatal overdoses on multiple fronts. He has formed a council and a separate task force on the problem. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford will lead the effort.

Maryland has received a donation of about 5,000 doses of an overdose antidote for heroin from a company called Kaleo.

The Republican governor also announced that $500,000 of a federal grant will be used to expand re-entry programs to help inmates leaving prison stay off of heroin.

Hogan emotionally recalled how people all over Maryland regularly mentioned the seriousness of the heroin problem during his campaign last year. He says he lost a cousin to a heroin overdose a few years ago.

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