ONDCP Director Dr. Rahul Gupta Visits Maryland to Meet with Leaders on the Front Lines of the Overdose Epidemic

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Yesterday, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), traveled to Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland to meet with leaders working to address the overdose epidemic and discussed President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy – a whole of government approach to beat the overdose epidemic as part of the President’s Unity Agenda. Dr. Gupta also described key actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to expand access to care for substance use disorder, reduce the supply of illicit drugs like fentanyl, and get states across the country the resources they need to respond to the crisis, including a recent announcement of over $51 million for Maryland as part of $1.5 billion for all states and territories.

“The overdose epidemic does not discriminate. It affects all communities and people across our country – and that is why, President Biden has made it a top priority to beat the crisis. Today, it was great to meet with some of the leaders on the front lines of the overdose epidemic in Maryland to hear about the work happening to prevent overdoses and connect people to treatment,” said Dr. Gupta. “The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on taking actions that will save lives and get states the resources they need to continue this important work.”

During his first stop in Baltimore, Dr. Gupta visited The Well, which offers programming and resources to women affected by addiction, and Hon’s Honey, a business run by the program participants that supports their work. Dr. Gupta was joined by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford at Helping Up Mission, a religious-based substance use recovery organization serving the Baltimore area with a long-term residential program.

Dr. Gupta traveled to Annapolis to deliver remarks at the State House, as part of a meeting of the Maryland Inter-Agency Heroin and Opioid Coordinating Council. He spoke about the Administration’s priorities for addressing the overdose epidemic, including naloxone distribution and other harm reduction efforts, expanding access to treatment and recovery services, and promoting racial equity in overdose outcomes. Dr. Gupta also heard from state leaders about various public health initiatives to address the overdose epidemic in Maryland.

Read the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy HERE.

Read the fact sheet on the Strategy HERE.

###