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Director Of Opioid Response Says Maine Will Launch Drug Prevention Ad Campaign

Steve Mistler
/
Maine Public

Gov. Janet Mills proposed two-year budget includes an allocation of $5.5 million for addressing the state’s opioid addiction crisis.

Gordon Smith, the state director of opioid response, says the plan is to launch a drug prevention advertising campaign similar to those being used in other states.

“In Wisconsin – dose of reality, Colorado – take meds seriously. Utah – use only as directed, Maryland – heroin and opioid prevention toolkit,” Smith says.

Smith told members of the legislature’s Human Resources Committee that studies show the campaigns have been successful, even though they take time. He says Maine has a very limited effort underway on social media and the new effort will expand that messaging to mass media.

“There is no period of time that we don’t need to be all over these individuals,” says Smith. “When they are babies, when they are infants, when they are born, before they get to school, when they are in school, when they get out of school.”

Originally published March 22, 2019 at 4:51 p.m. ET.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.