BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Opioids killed a record number of people in Maryland last year, a new report says.

“It’s the second year in a row that we’ve had fatalities in excess of 2,000 people, 2,000 of our friends, neighbors and family members,” said Steve Schuh, executive director of Opioid Operational Command Center.

But Schuh said new numbers for 2018 are showing signs that fentanyl-related deaths are slowing down.

The report released by the OOCC said the rate of increase is the slowest single-year jump since 2011.

The numbers show opioid-related deaths increased by 8.2 percent in 2017, compared to 70.4 percent in 2016.

“We are encouraged with the slow down the crisis is beginning to plateau,” Schuh said.

The report said deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers both dropped, but cocaine-related deaths rose to 88.7 percent, from dealers mixing in fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin.

“Dealers and mixing fentanyl in all their inventory, cocaine, heroin, even into marijuana. It’s powerful, very hard to detect, incredible deadly it will kill you,” Schuh said.

Statewide- the report said Maryland is expected to spend $627 million on opioid-related initiatives this fiscal year to help put an end to the epidemic.

“Maryland is at the forefront of combating this epidemic, we are implementing very progressive very forward-thinking programs in every corner of this state but we need more of everything we need more education programs, stronger enforcement, more treatment and recovery programs,” Schuh said.

The report said more than one-third of the deaths in 2018 were in Baltimore City, with nearly another third in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties.