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On The Record

As overdose deaths rage in Baltimore, older Black men are most at risk. Why?

By Sheilah Kast,
Maureen Harvie
Published June 26, 2024 at 10:12 AM EDT
While Black men in their mid-50s to early 70s account for just 7 percent of Baltimore's population, they account for nearly 30 percent of drug fatalities.
Jessica Gallagher/The Baltimore Banner
While Black men in their mid-50s to early 70s account for just 7 percent of the city’s population, they account for nearly 30 percent of drug fatalities.

Baltimore is the overdose capital of the United States, according to detailed reporting by the Baltimore Banner and New York Times.

The death rate from 2018 to 2022 was nearly double that of any other large city in the country. Black men in their mid-50s to early 70s account for nearly one of out every three drug fatalities.

We speak with Alissa Zhu, a Baltimore Banner reporter and a New York Times Local Investigations fellow, and Nick Thieme, a data journalist for the Baltimore Banner.

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On The Record WYPR ProgramsOn the RecordoverdoseFentanylOpiod deaths
Sheilah Kast
Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
See stories by Sheilah Kast
Maureen Harvie
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.
See stories by Maureen Harvie