NJM1 – PROPOSED POPULATION-BASED INTERVENTION A. DESCRIPTION OF LOCATION AND SUBPOPULATION
NJM1 – PROPOSED POPULATION-BASED INTERVENTION
A. DESCRIPTION OF LOCATION AND SUBPOPULATION
Westminster Maryland is an urban community centrally located in Carroll County in north
central Maryland. It is 36 miles northwest of Baltimore, Maryland and is the Carroll County seat.
As charming as the community is, there is an underlying issue that is plaguing Westminster. The
opioid overdose epidemic is a national issue and has not spared Westminster. The opioids
considered here include fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and prescription opioids (methadone,
oxycodone, and tramadol). From January 1, 2022, to July 31, 2022, there were 210 reported
overdoses resulting in 32 deaths in Carroll County, 76 of these reported overdoses were in
Westminster ending with 12 deaths. This is only six months of data which is quite alarming.
Males aged 25 to 34 were the most affected sex and age group in Westminster with a total of 51
overdoses (67%) by males and 26 overdoses (34%) in the 25-34 age group in first six months of
2022 (Welcome to Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, n.d.). In order to realize how much of a crisis
this is for Westminster, gaining a better understanding of the community is necessary.
The population of Westminster in 2019 was 18,640 residents comprising of 47.6% males
and 52.4% females with the median age of 35.8 years. The racial makeup in 2019 was 74.45%
Caucasian, 9.9% African American, 6.9% Hispanics, 4% two or more races, 3.4% Asian, 0.2%
American Indian and 0.1% other race alone. In 2019, the median household income was $64,424
and 11.5% of the community live in poverty. The City-Data.com crime index considers various
crimes committed such as thefts, murders, and assaults, and assigns a weight to the crime
dependent on its severity. The national average crime index was 270.6. Westminster was 246.0
in 2019. The education level of Westminster residents over the age of 25 was 86.8% with a high
school education, 32.7% with a bachelor’s degree and 11.6% with a graduate or professional
