The 10-part report is among 10 print finalists for health care institute recognition, along with The Washington Post, The New York Times, ProPublica and others.
opioid epidemic
Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy revives man with naloxone
A Whitefield woman called for help Monday after her friend overdosed on opiates, the sheriff’s office says.
Lawmakers back bill to negate governor’s age restriction on access to overdose antidote
More than a dozen people testify in favor of the bill to allow people of any age to buy naloxone without a prescription.
Studies link legal marijuana with fewer opioid prescriptions
Researchers find that Medicare patients in states with marijuana dispensaries fill prescriptions less often than in other states.
Maine Voices: Opioids aren’t our only drug problem
Mainers also are dying from overdosing on meth, cocaine, benzodiazepines and alcohol – usually in combinations.
Bill would undo LePage’s minimum age for buying overdose antidote without a prescription
The measure from House Speaker Sara Gideon would allow all Mainers, not just those 21 or older, to obtain naloxone as the state deals with an opioid crisis.
Trump calls for death penalty to get tough on opioid traffickers
Along with harsh penalties to halt the flow of drugs, he also unveils initiatives to battle overdoses, which kill Mainers at the rate of more than one a day.
Rhode Island doctor sentenced to more than 4 years in opioid kickback scheme
The doctor apologizes in court for taking money for prescribing a highly addictive fentanyl spray.
Press Herald story on addiction in Maine’s lobster industry earns national award
The Society of American Business Editors and Writers honored “Trapped by Heroin” for revealing the devastating impact of opioids on the state’s signature way of life.
Maine emergency department visits for opioid overdoses jumped 34 percent in 2017
The increase, reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, contrasts with declining visits in several other New England states.