Mills administration to convene summit on responding to opioid crisis

opioid epidemic

Published
July 21, 2020

Mills administration to convene summit on responding to opioid crisis

Dr. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. surgeon general, will be the keynote speaker at Thursday's virtual event, to be held less than a week after the state announced a surge in drug overdose deaths in the first quarter of this year.
Published
May 14, 2020

Beckett Cypher, 21-year-old son of Melissa Etheridge, dies

Etheridge released a statement saying opioid addiction was behind Cypher's death.
Published
May 1, 2020

Maine had 380 drug overdose deaths last year, a 7% increase

The number was lower than the state's peak of 417 overdose deaths in 2017, but it reversed a significant decline in 2018.
Published
April 20, 2020

Overdose risk during pandemic is tragic reality for some families

Experts have warned that prolonged isolation and uncertainty is a bad combination for drug users and people in recovery, but it's too early to tell if overdose deaths have increased.
Published
April 6, 2020

Our View: Even amid the outbreak, people dealing with addiction are not alone

Stay-at-home orders have made it difficult for people with substance use disorder, but there is still help out there.
Published
April 3, 2020

Our View: Don’t let companies off the hook for their role in opioid epidemic

An investigation by ProPublica found evidence that Walmart sent millions of doses of opioid painkillers to criminal doctors.
Published
April 3, 2020

Our View: Don’t let companies off the hook for their role in opioid epidemic

ProPublica describes how the Justice Department stopped the prosecution of Walmart for filling suspicious prescriptions, in Maine and around the country.
Published
March 30, 2020

Methadone restrictions relaxed during pandemic, but not for everyone

Some patients can't get longer supplies, even though the federal government has eased restrictions for the drug used to treat opioid use disorder.
Published
March 13, 2020

Scarborough, Bridgton chiefs: Jailing Mainers for drug use or possession won’t solve addiction problem

Instead, we should prioritize making treatment, housing, health care and community support available to all who need them.
Published
March 3, 2020

Maine DHHS drops ‘substance abuse’ from mental health office name

The name change is another step toward ending the stigma associated with addiction-related illnesses, according to Maine's opioid response czar.