The City of Baltimore has taken a holistic approach to drug addiction, gun violence and healthy babies. By addressing these challenges as interconnected issues they are able to make greater progress than engaging them individually. By ‘interrupting’ potentially violent retaliation, assisting with counteracting opiate overdoses, and supporting young mothers, the city has:
- Decreased homicides by up to 56% in some neighborhoods
- Reduced the likelihood of arrest due to drug abuse
- Decreased infant mortality by 28 percent for some populations
Kudos to Baltimore for this innovative approach to public health!