Proposed legislation could make Maine the second state to stop arresting people for possessing small amounts of drugs such as opioids, and instead steer them toward treatment.
opioid epidemic
Posted inLocal & State, News
Drug overdose deaths remain high in latest monthly report
The Maine Attorney General’s Office report showed 45 confirmed or suspected deaths in February, down slightly from January but still above the monthly average in 2020, a record year.
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Posted inLocal & State, News
Police departments get new tool to reduce overdose deaths: fentanyl test strips
The strips can make users aware that the deadly opioid is present in drugs they are taking so they can take precautions.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Phish guitarist to found substance abuse treatment center
Trey Anastasio, who has been sober for 14 years, plans to start the center in Vermont, where the band was formed in 1983
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Lessons learned from fighting COVID can help combat Maine’s overdose epidemic
One lesson is understanding that government can’t do it all. There has to be a communitywide commitment to understanding the disease.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine overdose deaths set new record in 2020, and 2021 started even worse
Drug overdose deaths surged in January, with 58 confirmed or suspected fatal overdoses, the highest monthly figure in at least a year.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Uncategorized
Maine prisons will expand treatment for opioid use disorder
The state prisons will provide access to medication-assisted treatment for all inmates who need it, something advocates have long pushed the state to do.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World
McKinsey agrees to pay nearly $600 million for its role in opioid crisis
The payments are earmarked for abating the raging overdose and addiction crisis that has deepened during the coronavirus pandemic.
Posted inLakes Region Weekly, Local & State, News
Police investigate 6 fatal overdoses in Sebago Lake region
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce says 4 of the fatal overdoses since Dec. 1 occurred in Standish.
Posted inLocal & State, Uncategorized
Maine recovery coalition makes decriminalizing drug possession a legislative priority
Rep. Anne Perry, a Democrat from Calais, is sponsoring a bill to make possession a civil offense, not a crime.