I-70/I-81 Interchange: The Heroin Highway

The above map visualizes where I-70 and I-81 intersect in Washington County, MD. Let's take a look at the coverage of the two interstates and how it has created an infamous drug epicenter in Hagerstown, MD.

I grew up and lived in Hagerstown for my entire life until I moved to Harrisonburg for college. Hagerstown is situated at the tightest spot in the panhandle of the state and is only about 10 minutes from Pennsylvania and 15 minutes from West Virginia traveling on 81. I want to look at how the unique geography of Hagerstown impacted its development of culture and more specifically, drug culture. I am one of the lucky few who can say no one in my family has been impacted by drugs but living in Hagerstown it was hard to not know of or have a friend who was.

Let's look at the two interstates and what role they play in the relationship of the geogrpahic concepts, location and movement.

As The Baltimore Magazine puts it, "Hagerstown's unique coordinates, once its greatest assest, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis." Hagerstown has a beautiful, and rich history and was thriving in its prime. With access to the Potomac River, coal country, the B&O railroad, and the C&O canal, Hagerstown was awarded the "Hub city" nickname properly. It was also where transport planes were built for the Korean war.

This barely scratches the surface of H-towns amazing history, but to say the least, the town wasn't always the way it is now. This is an important distinction of Ellen Semple's concepts and of environmental determinism. The environment used to prompt a certain culture and as it changed it prompted a different culture but it did not determine it. Vidal de la Blanche's critic of environmental determinism is more fitting because the people of Hagerstown have been influenced by the environment. But, I'd say the most accurate demonstration of cultural landscape was that of Carl Sauers. The relationship between the people of Hagerstown and the environment itself has always been changing and impacting one another. This optimistic take will hopefully be true when Hagerstown turns back around.

Addiction holds a tight grip on its victims and it is a complex disease of the brain, mind, and body. Though I have not personally been impacted by addiction, I have been surrounded my entire life by people who have and I've seen first hand what it can do to people. And even though I've been itching to leave Hagerstown for some time, it is a part of who I am and I deeply care for it.

In 2020, 2,799 Marylanders died of intoxication, 90% of which were opioid-related. There was a 20% increase in deaths from 2019 to 2020.

What all of these graphs, tables, and statistics go to show is that the drug problem in Maryland is significantly worse than in other parts of the nation. Compared to the national average, twice as many people die in Maryland from drug overdoses. In 2018, Maryland had the third-highest concentration of drug overdoses.

So why is it that the I-70 and I-81 intersection creates such a problem? There are several reasons.

1. These are two of the longest interstates in the US and they are highly trafficed and fast-moving. They are used for transporting people and goods including opioids. The intersection allows for wider distribution of drugs.

2. The connection the interstates creates between New York and Baltimore allows dealers to earn a higher profit. In under an hour, a dealer from Baltimore can make it to Hagerstown to sell for much more and they can sell counterfeit. Not only can dealers sell more but cutomers can travel farther to buy. In Hagerstown, you can buy drugs faster than ordering a pizza (Baltimore Magazine).

The interchange massively enables and expands the drug culture in Hagerstown but there are many other factors and characteristics of the environment itself that contribute to the opioid trade. Hagerstown has lost business to cheaper competitors (being a historical manufacturing city), has a high unemployment rate, experiences a high poverty rate, has an unstable political ground, and there are many other factors that have caused its downward spiral.

"Hope or heroin" is what councilwoman Emily Keller said about staying optimistic in Hagerstown because there are only two options left. The initiatives to combat the opioid epedemic are numerous in Hagerstown and hopefully they carry traction.

Brooke's House is just one example of the tragic loss that Washington County faced at the hands of drugs and overdose. Growing up in Hagerstown, Brooke Simmers is a household name. She struggled with addiction and died of an overdose in 2015 at 19 years old before living out her dream of building a sober-living house to support other women like her. Her father kept his promise of building it for her and created the non-profit in her honor.

Opioids have stripped Hagerstown of a lot but there are many who still see it's promise and value and hold its pride. There are many resources to get confidential and free help.