Conference held to educate health officials, patients on ongoing opioid crisis

SALISBURY, Md. – The annual Substance Use Disorders Conference was held at Salisbury University Wednesday night to provide education on the ongoing opioid crisis.

The conference focused on resources available to nurses and the community in response, such as the community outreach addictions team, or COAT for short.

Officials also discussed the fact that despite that the state seeing rise in overdose deaths every year since 2010, Wicomico County was one of the few that saw a decrease last year.

“Provide a forum to share information about what resources are available to those individuals suffering from substance use disorder and their families.  So that all of the nurses and professionals understand what’s out there to that population,” said Judge Matthew Maciarello, with Circuit Court for Wicomico County.

The county’s official to attack the opioid crisis is three pronged we’re told prevention, enforcement and intervention.