Adam Willis

Aug 8, 2024 | nytimes.com | Adam Willis |Alissa Zhu

For years, Baltimore's leaders gave overdoses little public attention, even as the death rate swelled to unprecedented levels. But for a few weeks this summer, it seemed that the city would respond to its drug epidemic with new urgency. The City Council was about to hold four hearings - planned after The New York Times and The Baltimore Banner reported that the overdose rate here was far higher than in any other major American city.

Jun 10, 2024 | nytimes.com | Emily Sullivan |Nick Thieme |Alissa Zhu |Adam Willis

The public safety and health committees announced they would meet at least four times on the topic in the coming months, starting in July. "At the end of the day, we want to save lives," Councilman MarkConway, chair of the public safety committee, said in an interview last week.