The Senate voted 18-16 Tuesday against the measure proposed by Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, but lawmakers may consider an amendment to form a working group to study the feasibility of creating harm reduction centers.
overdose
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Mainers deserve access to harm reduction health centers
If the purpose of the ‘war on drugs’ is to save lives and create public safety, it’s time to admit we’ve lost.
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Posted inNation & World
U.S. names veterinary drug, fentanyl mixture ‘emerging threat’
It is the first time the designation has been used it since the category for fast-growing drug dangers was created in 2019.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World, News
Panel backs moving opioid antidote Narcan over the counter
U.S. health advisers say the overdose-reversal drug naloxone should be made available as an over-the-counter medication.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Fentanyl, the fast-acting and incredibly lethal opioid, killed more than 500 Mainers last year
Fentanyl is sometimes referred to as the “instant death,” an official from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Number of Mainers who died from a drug overdose last year outpaced record set in 2021
Significantly impacting fatal overdoses is the introduction of xylazine and nonpharmaceutical tramadol. Both drugs showed up on toxicology reports for the first time in 2021, almost always in combination with fentanyl.
Posted inLocal & State
The Narcan effect: A new lease on life
Even as Maine experiences record numbers of overdose deaths, the expanded availability and use of the lifesaving opioid antidote naloxone presents a competing narrative.
Posted inKennebec Journal, Local & State
Augusta marks International Overdose Awareness Day, which seeks to remove stigma, remember loved ones lost
Advocates hope removing the stigma of substance use disorder will encourage more to seek help with addiction.
Posted inHealth
Report highlights challenges to medication-assisted treatment access in rural Maine
The UVM-USM report surveyed more than 300 practitioners and community stakeholders to evaluate the unique needs and barriers to treatment for rural patients.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, New England, News
Federal task force to crack down on overprescription of opioids in the region
Four additional federal prosecutors will help local and federal law enforcement bring criminal cases against doctors and medical providers who are diverting opiates for profit.