One of the most urgent issues facing Maine in 2020 is the opioid epidemic, which continues to devastate communities even after steps were taken to combat it. So far, there have been at least 11 overdoses and five deaths this year, and without changing our approach, these statistics will only continue to rise.

There is not one simple explanation for the lives lost, but perhaps the largest single factor is fentanyl. The narcotic, originally created to provide relief for severe chronic pain and cancer patients, exploded onto the scene as a cheaper alternative to heroin that also happened to be twice as potent. The market was flooded, and Fentanyl began to make its way into other substances, it’s appearance of white powder easily mistaken. The majority of overdoses occur when the individual uses heroin, cocaine or pills, without knowing that the substance has been laced with Fentanyl.

These deaths are tragic and avoidable.

The most effective way of responding to this epidemic is through harm reduction methods that place priority on the safety of drug users. One such method would be the distribution of testing strips, which are a simple way to identify if a substance contains Fentanyl. By using these strips, one can determine whether or not their drugs have been contaminated, which has the potential to save hundreds of lives. If these strips were distributed and made available to anyone needing them, as happened with Narcan, fentanyl may lose it’s deadly grip on Maine.

Jack McGrath

Topsham

Copy the Story Link