Opioid abuse has devastated too many lives, splintered too many families, and hurt too many communities. It has even affected the youngest, most vulnerable members of our society: newborns. The Maine Department of Health and Human services has estimated that one in 12 newborn babies in Maine are already addicted when they come into the world.
This problem of addiction is complex, and no one has all the answers. So for us to address it, we must harness all the collective experience and expertise from prevention and treatment experts from around the state, people in recovery, families affected by addiction, health care providers, law enforcement officials, first responders, and leaders from all levels of government.
To that end, I’ve convened two roundtable discussions — one in Brewer and one in Portland — to bring these different perspectives into one room and begin to work towards solutions. These have been difficult conversations, but they are absolutely necessary in order to jumpstart ideas and move us on a path towards tackling this devastating epidemic that has touched every corner of our state.
According to the Maine Attorney General’s office, the overall number of drug overdose deaths this year is on track to be similar to 2014, when 208 people died of overdoses — the worst year on record. That is unacceptable, and it further underscores the need for action.
Any solution to this crisis will require cooperation between local, state, and federal officials, which is why I invited National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli to Maine in August for the first roundtable discussion. Hosted at Eastern Maine Health Systems (EMHS) in Brewer, the discussion focused on how to build on current federal policies to better address the threat that opioid abuse poses to personal and public health and safety. We heard from a wide variety of people — from former addicts in recovery and families who’ve lost loved ones to treatment experts and law enforcement officials. It was clear after that emotional and informative meeting that we have a daunting task ahead of us, and that the first step forward is to listen to each other and find areas of agreement where we can begin to tackle this public health and safety crisis.
One of the most troubling statistics that I heard during the first discussion in Brewer was that four out of five heroin addicts first developed their addiction from using prescription painkillers. So in the second roundtable at MaineHealth in Portland, my staff and I decided to focus on how we can close the prescription painkillers-to-opioid addiction gateway. During that meeting, I announced a new federal proposal that would help people across the country more quickly, safely, and responsibly dispose of excess prescription drugs. This is just one small initiative, but as we continue the dialogue and work on new ideas, those small initiatives can combine to make a big impact.
Without question, these two roundtables are just the start of a much longer conversation. I plan to host several more of these discussions in Maine moving forward. There has been a lot of bad news about opioid addiction in the state recently, but the good news is that a great number of people are recognizing the immediacy of the situation and coming together to affect change.
For my part, I’ll keep at it and do what I can to get people from all backgrounds talking to each other and working towards possible solutions.
