Maine
Opinion: Signs of hope, but work remains on overdose deaths issue
Last year, a collective sigh of relief echoed through Maine’s recovery and harm reduction communities as the state witnessed a drop in overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023. This decrease translates to around 120 Mainers whose lives were likely saved by the policy changes advocated for by people in recovery and those who use drugs, passed by the Maine Legislature, and supported by the Mills administration. While these numbers give us much to celebrate, they also underscore the challenges that remain.
Despite the progress, Maine still faced the heartbreaking loss of over 600 individuals last year, including our friends Fred and Brian. The toll of the opioid epidemic on our state has been immense, and we are both exhausted from attending the funerals of our loved ones.
These losses are a stark reminder that our work is far from over.
Gov. Mills’ recognition of the balance between celebration and continued effort was evident at her 6th Annual Opioid Summit in Auburn a few weeks ago. The governor did an excellent job of bringing together key stakeholders in this crucial fight and facilitating nuanced conversations in a public setting. We want to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to Gov. Mills for her commitment to addressing the opioid crisis in Maine. As people who have personally experienced substance use disorders and lost many friends to this disease, we understand the high stakes in this battle.
We also want to acknowledge Gov. Mills’ willingness to listen to and engage with those who have lived experience with SUDs. During the 130th Legislature, it appeared that Gov. Mills was inclined to veto the Good Samaritan Bill, sponsored by former Sen. Chloe Maxmin. However, in the final moments, after some invaluable conversations, she chose to sign the bill into law. This decision, along with the Mills administration’s significant investment in naloxone and harm reduction services, likely contributed to the dramatic reduction in overdose deaths in 2023. These efforts deserve considerable credit and praise.
However, we know that Maine can do better than 600 deaths and we are ready to continue to work to ensure we do.
Last year, a bill that would have allowed towns to establish Overdose Prevention Centers passed in the Maine House with bipartisan support but narrowly failed in the Senate, ultimately being converted into a study commission. We believe that this was a direct result of the governor indicating that she would have vetoed the bill had it reached her desk as written.
On International Overdose Awareness Day, a day to mourn the lives of our loved ones and to commit to action, we urge Gov. Mills to reconsider her stance on this policy – just like she did with the expanded Good Samaritan Law. There is clear evidence from around the world that Overdose Prevention Centers save lives – not just by preventing overdoses, but also by addressing other health and safety concerns.
Overdose is not the only danger facing people who use drugs. The risks of contracting hepatitis C or HIV are also high. In 2021, Maine had the highest rate of reported acute hepatitis C cases in the United States. Additionally, there is currently a deeply concerning HIV outbreak in Bangor that seems to be flying under the public radar. All of these risks could be significantly reduced if Maine were to pass a bill allowing Overdose Prevention Centers to operate. We hope Gov. Mills will reconsider her position on this important issue.
We ask that Gov. Mills continue to listen to the recovery and harm reduction community as we work together to keep our friends, neighbors and loved ones safe. We look forward to collaborating with her in the 132nd Legislature to authorize overdose prevention centers in Maine.
Many Maine municipalities will open cooling centers this week with the National Weather Service issuing a variety of heat advisories covering the next few days.
The Maine DEP also issued an air quality alert for Wednesday with ground-level ozone expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
All of York County, interior Cumberland and Androscoggin counties, and the southern half of Oxford County will fall under an extreme heat warning from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Friday.
The warning calls for “dangerously hot conditions” that could feature heat index values of up to 110 degrees, with overnight lows only expected to fall into the 70s, according to the weather service’s office in Gray.
The rest of the state — save northern Aroostook, Piscataquis and Somerset counties — falls under a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. However, the weather service has also placed much of the state under an extreme heat watch for Thursday.
Heat index values, which measure how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, are expected to reach up to 104 degrees during the heat advisory period, the weather service warns. They could reach 110 degrees Thursday, when the extreme heat watch is in effect.
Northern Oxford and Franklin counties, and central Somerset County, can expect a heat index value of up to 99 degrees Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The weather service advises people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms when possible, avoid extended periods in the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. It also warns not to leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles, as “car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
Cooling Centers
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has also issued an air quality alert from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday along the coast from Kittery to Acadia National Park. The agency warns that ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Ozone levels may reach “moderate levels” further inland, according to the Maine DEP, including in all of Androscoggin and Kennebec counties, as well as parts of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York counties.
Elevated ozone levels can pose a risk to children, older adults and people suffering from respiratory or heart diseases, according to the Maine DEP. Anyone exerting themselves outdoors may also experience health effects, which could include coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation and mild chest pain.
Ozone levels were already climbing in southern New England on Tuesday, according to the Maine DEP, and winds are expected to bring those conditions to Maine on Wednesday.
The Maine DEP recommends that vulnerable populations avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and circulate indoor air with fans or air conditioners. Those with asthma are also advised to keep quick-relief medication handy.
Particle pollution levels are also expected to be moderate across the state on Wednesday due to wildfire smoke, the Maine DEP said in its announcement Tuesday. Wildfires in Colorado, which have claimed the lives of three firefighters, had burned nearly 90,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to the Denver Post.
Maine could face up to $50 million in penalties next year due to errors in its payments for federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture find that Maine’s error rate last year was nearly 11%, the bulk of which were overpayments. That’s in line with the U.S. average. But starting in October of next year, states with error rates above 6% must cover a portion of the SNAP benefits.
Anna Korsen, executive director of Full Plates, Full Potential, said the overpayments aren’t fraud — they’re human error. She said this new cost-shifting policy enacted last year under the Trump administration further complicates the SNAP application process.
“Instead, we could make this program more accessible and more efficient,” Korsen said. “And that would reduce the number of errors and also ensure that Mainers who are eligible for SNAP have access to it.”
She’s urging Congress to delay or reverse the policy under the farm bill that’s currently under consideration.
Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services said it’s taking steps to reduce the error rate, including modernizing its systems and hiring an additional 40 eligibility specialists.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
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