In the first part of this year, Maine saw an average of 792 overdoses and 53 deaths each month. That's according to the latest drug report from the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, which analyzed data from January to May.
That represents an increase in overdoses and deaths compared to the same timeframe last year.
During the first five months of 2022, there was an average of nearly 800 overdoses per month, compared to roughly 660 during the same time period in 2021. The proportion of fatalities also increased, from an average of 49 per month to 53.
Fentanyl was the most frequent cause of death. The powerful drug is nearly always found mixed with other drugs, including methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin.
According to the University of Maine report, bystanders are administering the opioid-reversal drug naloxone more frequently — in about 15% of overdose fatalities, compared to 4% a couple years ago. But the report says that because fentanyl acts more quickly than other opioids, family, friends, and other bystanders have less time to find someone alive and respond.
Next Monday, state and national leaders will convene for Gov. Janet Mills' fourth annual Opioid Response Summit in Bangor to share strategies on how best to address the drug epidemic.
