Over 100 Maryland Medical and Public Health Professionals Urge Senator Ferguson To Pass H.B. 481

To Address Overdose Epidemic, Maryland Lawmakers Must Pass Paraphernalia Decriminalization Bill 

BALTIMORE, MD––Today, amid continually record-breaking overdose deaths, 120 Maryland medical and public health professionals––including physicians, nurses, and social workers who work closely with and treat patients with substance use disorder––sent a letter to Senate President Bill Ferguson urging him to call a vote on H.B. 481, the Drug Paraphernalia Decriminalization bill. 

H.B. 481, sponsored by Delegates David Moon, Jon Cardin, and 24 others, would amend the classification of certain items used to ingest drugs, effectively decriminalizing the possession of items such as syringes. Decriminalizing paraphernalia is proven to reduce the risk of contracting a bloodborne illness such as HIV and does not increase drug use rates. 

“Senator Ferguson has until this Friday, April 1, to encourage the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to move H.B. 481 forward with sponsor amendments and call for the third and final reading followed by a vote on the Senate floor. We have the 29 votes needed to pass this bill; all we need is for Senator Ferguson to call the vote. If this bill does not pass the Maryland General Assembly by this Friday, Governor Hogan will have until the session ends on Monday, April 11, at 11:59 p.m. to veto the bill, which will likely not allow legislators enough time to override the veto during session,” wrote the signers.

“This bill will help curb the growing numbers of people suffering in the shadows, dying from overdoses, and being harmed by preventable infections related to injecting drugs. Removing criminal penalties for paraphernalia for personal use increases legal access to sterile equipment which reduces the transmission of infectious diseases and risk of overdose, [saving] lives and money,” continued the signers. “This legislation will help ensure Marylanders continue to have access to life-saving services on their road to greater wellness and not be derailed by traumatizing arrests, police interactions, and jail time for possessing the tools they need.”

The full text of the petition can be found below and linked here. 

To: Senate President Bill Ferguson

On Thursday March 10, Maryland’s House passed HB481 to decriminalize paraphernalia, and soon this proposed policy will again be in your hands.

We are a group of concerned medical professionals and public health experts who care deeply about the health and wellbeing of all Maryland residents. Through our professional experience, we know how crucial decriminalizing paraphernalia is for the health and safety of people who use drugs.

We are urging you to bring HB481 for a Senate floor vote before April 1, 2022. We are confident that there are enough Senators ready and willing to both vote in favor of this essential piece of life-saving legislation and override a potential veto from Governor Hogan.

This bill will help curb the growing numbers of people suffering in the shadows, dying from overdoses, and being harmed by preventable infections related to injecting drugs.

Removing criminal penalties for paraphernalia for personal use increases legal access to sterile equipment which reduces the transmission of infectious diseases and risk of overdose. This in turn saves lives and money.

The science is clear.

• Every scientific and medical organization to study the issue has concluded that access to drug use tools, including sterile syringes, reduces the spread of HIV, hepatitis, other blood-borne diseases, and soft tissue and skin infections.
• Studies of Canadian programs to distribute safer smoking kits found they significantly reduced risky behaviors like supply sharing that spread MRSA, HIV, Hepatitis B and HCV.
• Access to sterile supplies is associated with increased treatment uptake. Programs that distribute these supplies provide a bridge to treatment, medical care, and other services for drug users. Furthermore, evidence has shown that when there is less fear of punishment or arrest by police, individuals feel safer accessing treatment services.

This legislation will help ensure Marylanders continue to have access to life-saving services on their road to greater wellness and not be derailed by traumatizing arrests, police interactions, and jail time for possessing the tools they need.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.

Anne Blake	St. Clair	Baltimore City	MD	RN, MSN
Meredith	Zoltick	Washington	DC	MSN/MPH, CRNP
Omeid	Heidari	Baltimore	MD	PhD, MPH, CRNP
Laura	Bartolomei-Hill	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Ashish	Thakrar	Baltimore	MD	MD
Megan	Buresh	Baltimore	MD	MD
Kaity	Stewart	Washington	DC	CNM PMHNP-BC
Lee	Gilman	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Jasleen	Salwan	Bethesda	MD	MD, MPH
Tracy	Agee	Baltimore	MD	RN, Nurse Practitioner
Elizabeth	Spradley	Baltimore	MD	RN
Natalie	Spicyn	Baltimore	MD	MD, MHS, AAHIVS
Nicole	Akparewa	Middle River	MD	RN, MSN/MPH
Emily	Bryson	Catonsville	MD
Nishant	Shah	Baltimore	MD	MD, MPH
Adrienne	Trustman	Baltimore	MD	MD
Fernando	Mena	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lore	Mb			MD
Jessica	Friedman	Baltimore	MD	MD
Mary	Degrezia	Halethorpe	MD	PhD, ACRN, CNE
Marik Moen	Moen	Baltimore	MD	PhD, MPH, RN
Amanda	Roesch	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Jill	Crank	Baltimore	MD	CRNP, MSN/MPH
Laura	Garcia	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Molly	Greenberg	Baltimore	MD	MPH, RN
Emilie	Casselle	Baltimore	MD	RN
Elizabeth	Galbrecht	Baltimore	MD	MSN, CRNP
Meredith	Kerr	Baltimore	MD	DNP, CRNP, FNP-C
Angela	Mason	Baltimore	MD	MPH, BSN, RN
Tyler	Gray	Baltimore	MD	MD
Michaela	Lindahl-Ackerman	Baltimore	MD	RN/MPH
Zofia	Kozak	Baltimore	MD	MD
Susannah	Reed-Mccullough	Greenbelt	MD	CRNP
Kevin	Klembczyk	Baltimore	MD	MD
Vira	David	Baltimore	MD	Master in Socio-Economic Development
Greg	Frailey	Baltimore	MD	MA
Molly	Greenberg	Baltimore	MD	MPH, RN
Emily	Comstock	Baltimore	MD	DNP, CRNP, ACRN
Rajani	Gudlavalleti	Baltimore	MD	MPP
Johanna	Galat	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Shannon	Riley	Crofton	MD	RN
Rosita	Harris	Baltimore	MD	CMA
Max	Romano	Baltimore	MD	MD, MPH
Elizabeth	Spradley	Baltimore	MD	RN
Jana	Goins	Baltimore	MD	MHS
John	Dombrowski	Annapolis	DC	MD
Jennifer	Kirschner	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Meredith	Johnston	Baltimore	MD	MD
Kirsten	Forseth	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Dillon	Mcmanus	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
John	Dombrowski	Annapolis	DC	MD
Casey	Lyons	Oklahoma City	OK	MPH
Sarah	Kattakuzhy	Laurel	MD	MD
Lydia	Santiago	Gwynn Oak	MD	LCSW-C, CAC-AD
Madeline	Jonz	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Karen	Bisson	Dundalk	MD	RN
Courtney	Hunt	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lisa	Hoffmann	Baltimore	MD	RN, MPH
Katharine	Billipp	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Iris	Leviner	Baltimore	MD	MD
Lawanda	Williams	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Meredith	Johnston	Baltimore	MD	MD
Tolulope	Thomas	Baltimore	MD	RN
Lee	Gilman	Baltimore	MD	CRNP
Shawnta	Jackson	Laurel	MD	MPH
Jill	Crank	Baltimore	MD	CRNP, MSN/MPH
Becca	Corder	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Elizabeth	Bayer	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Ashley	Charest	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Anjana	Rao	Elkridge	MD	MHS
Katharine	Evans	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Adrienne	Kilby	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Mikela	Sheskier	Baltimore	MD	BA, ADT
Alison	Athey	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Jess	Sellner	Baltimore	MD	HT
Joshua	Chiappelli	Reisterstown	MD	MD
Valeria	Moore	Owings Mills	MD	MPH
Ametisse	Gover-Chamlou	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Srishti	Roy	Baltimore	MD	Certified Peer Support Specialist
Kathleen	Ridgeway	Baltimore	MD	MSPH, PhD candidate
Heather	Kangas	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C
Kate	Dunn	Baltimore	MD	RN
Crystal	Guengerich	Baltimore	MD	RN
Parth	Naik	Baltimore	MD	DPT
Sara	Omary	Baltimore	MD	RN
Laura	Norris	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Kymia	Khosrowani	Washington	DC	MD
Aaron	Rilling	Olney	MD	Dpt
Randy	Helton	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Claire	Knezevic	Baltimore	MD	PhD, DABCC
Britt	Walsh	Baltimore	MD	LCSW-C, CPH
Caitlin	Wheeler	Baltimore	MD	RN
Leanne	Zhang	Baltimore	MD	MSPH
Ian	Bukowski	Baltimore	MD	RN
Amy	Hecht	Baltimore	MD	Medical assistant, counselor
Diane	Diane Horvath	Ellicott City	MD	MD MPH
Laketa	Dyson	Baltimore	MD	RN
Colleen	Christmas	Baltimore	MD	MD
Ren	Debrosse	Baltimore	MD	MS-2
Terry	Prochnow	Tall Timbers	MD	RN
Kathryn	League	Columbia	MD	LCSW-C
Moyatu	Moseray	Laurel	MD	CCHW
Clare	Donofrio	Baltimore	MD	MPH, LCSW-C
Chloe	Rice	Linthicum Heights	MD	Lcsw-c
Emily	Deichsel	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Tanvi	Avasthi	Baltimore	MD	RN, CNM, WHNP-BC
Melissa	Dunston	Baltimore	MD	RN
Danielle	Danso	Baltimore	MD	PharmD, RPh
Erica	Herdecker	Severna Park	MD	RN
Aislinn	Woody	Pasadena	MD	RN
Christine	Carlson	Ellicott City	MD	RN
Kelsey	Granger	Baltimore	MD	MHS
Gina	Coursey	Parkville	MD	MS
Sarah	Kennedy	Baltimore	MD	MPH
Yael	Ben-Chaim	Baltimore	MD	LMSW
Susan	Sherman	Baltimore	MD	PhD
Megan	Kenny	Baltimore	MD	MPP
Anna	Green	Baltimore	MD	PCA
Samantha	Kerr	Baltimore	MD	CPS
Jennifer	Andreasen	Dunkirk	MD	CPS

Resources:

New York Academy of Medicine. New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program Evaluation. January 15, 2003.

National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel, Interventions to Prevent HIV Risk Behaviors (Kensington, MD: National Institutes of Health Consensus Program Information Center, February 1997).

P. Lurie, A.L. Reingold, B. Bowser (eds). The Public Health Impact of Needle Exchange Programs in the United States and Abroad: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations (1993).

Maryland Board of Pharmacy News. Fall 2017.

Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging. Return on Investment in Needle and Syringe Programs in Australia

Schackman, Bruce R., et al. The Lifetime Cost of Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care in the United States. Medical Care. 44 (11):990-997 (2006).

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Population and Public Health Program. Safer Crack Use Kit Distribution in the Winnipeg Health Region. October 2012