Brenda Smith hasn’t had a relapse for five years but says she fears that stopping her medication could affect her long-term recovery from opioid use disorder.
opioid epidemic
Authorities shut down two Tennessee pharmacies’ opioid sales
Two people died and numerous others were hospitalized for overdoses shortly after obtaining drugs from the pharmacies.
Maine had fewer overdose deaths in 2018 but opioid epidemic remains a ‘public health crisis’
Attorney General Aaron Frey released a report Friday estimating there were 376 drug overdose deaths in Maine last year.
Robber who put southern Maine on edge was addicted to opioids, awaiting treatment, lawyer says
Travis Card’s attorney calls him ‘a face of the devastation and destruction that medically prescribed opiates can have.’
‘Time for our state to recover’: Mills signs order to combat opioid crisis
The governor orders the purchase of 35,000 doses of overdose-reversing naloxone; integration of medication-assisted treatment into the criminal justice system; and creation of a statewide network of 250 recovery coaches.
Family made billions on opioid as crisis raged, filing says
The state of Massachusetts says Purdue Pharma used discounts to keep people taking its drugs longer despite their risks.
Advocates urge decriminalization, safe injection sites in opioids crisis report
The Maine Coalition for Sensible Drug Policy calls for efforts to end the stigma attached to substance use disorder and invest in harm-reduction strategies.
Gov. Mills shifts the tone in tackling Maine’s opioid crisis
The Democratic governor has made addressing the epidemic one of her top priorities. Her ideas are likely to be vastly different from her predecessor’s.
Mills picks longtime lobbyist for doctors to lead Maine’s response to opioid crisis
Gordon Smith, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Association since 1993, will coordinate state efforts to combat an epidemic that persists in communities across the state.
Mills set to name ‘opioid czar’ for Maine this week
Maine’s Democratic governor will announce on Thursday her choice for a new state position, director of opioid response.