Baltimore Councilman Unveils SOAR Plan to Tackle Open-Air Drug Markets

Councilman Mark Conway's new initiative aims to address addiction and support recovery in neighborhoods impacted by drug trade.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 12:20am

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A cinematic painting of a lone figure standing on a shadowy urban street corner, the warm light and deep shadows evoking a sense of melancholy and despair surrounding the city's open-air drug markets.A somber scene of urban decay and isolation reflects the human toll of Baltimore's long-standing open-air drug trade.Baltimore Today

Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway has announced a new plan called SOAR (Sustained Opioid Action and Recovery) to tackle the city's long-standing issue of open-air drug markets. Conway says the plan is personal to him and aims to take a more coordinated and sustained approach to addressing addiction and the conditions that enable these drug markets to persist in certain neighborhoods.

Why it matters

Open-air drug markets have plagued many Baltimore communities for generations, contributing to high rates of addiction, overdoses, and other public safety concerns. While the city has made efforts to limit overdoses, Conway argues that not enough has been done to address the root causes of addiction and the underlying factors that allow these drug markets to thrive. The SOAR plan represents a new strategy to confront this entrenched problem.

The details

The SOAR plan, as outlined by Councilman Conway, will take a multi-pronged approach to tackling open-air drug markets. This includes increasing access to addiction treatment and recovery services, improving coordination between law enforcement and social services, and addressing the socioeconomic conditions that make certain neighborhoods vulnerable to the drug trade. Conway believes a more sustained, holistic effort is needed to make meaningful progress on this issue.

  • Councilman Conway announced the SOAR plan on April 15, 2026.

The players

Mark Conway

A Baltimore City Councilman who has introduced the SOAR plan to address open-air drug markets in the city.

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What they’re saying

“This is a vision of where we can start. A coordinated, sustained approach to a problem that has defined neighborhoods in this city for generations.”

— Mark Conway, Baltimore City Councilman

“We haven't sufficiently addressed the addiction and the conditions that support those open-air drug markets in our communities, and until we do, we are always at risk for more folks suffering with addiction.”

— Mark Conway, Baltimore City Councilman

What’s next

The details and implementation of the SOAR plan will be further discussed and debated by the Baltimore City Council in the coming months.

The takeaway

Councilman Conway's SOAR plan represents a new, comprehensive approach to tackling Baltimore's long-standing open-air drug market problem. By focusing on both addiction treatment and the underlying socioeconomic factors that enable these drug markets to thrive, the plan aims to make more sustainable progress in confronting this entrenched urban challenge.