Drug overdoses have hit record highs during this pandemic. Access to prescription medications – particularly opioids – is partly to blame and community-wide efforts are critical to decreasing supply. But the causes and solutions concerning addiction are complex, as noted in a recent article about rethinking Maine’s approach to the opioid crisis.
In Westbrook, we are taking a community-wide approach to the problem and working together across sectors to reduce access and decrease the likelihood prescriptions will be misused. This includes collaboration between the Westbrook Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency to conduct two National Drug Take Back Days each year; the next one will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 24. Last October’s collection was record-breaking both nationally and statewide, with 985,392 pounds collected in the U.S. and 40,148 pounds in Maine. (To find a Take Back Day location near you, visit takebackday.dea.gov and enter your ZIP code.)
Many police departments throughout the state, including Westbrook, have permanent collection boxes where people can safely dispose of medications year-round. There are also several ways people can safely dispose of medications at home if they can’t get to a disposal site. When people take the time to clean out their medicine cabinets and participate in these efforts, they play an important role in helping to prevent unintended poisoning or misuse of prescriptions.
Certainly, access to substances can lead to unintended drug dependence – whether a teen experiments with pain medications found in a family’s medicine cabinet or an older Mainer is prescribed an opioid for chronic pain. In fact, four out of five people who use heroin reported first misusing opioids that had been legitimately prescribed. However, several other factors also contribute to substance use. “I have yet to find someone struggling with substance use disorder who has not experienced some sort of trauma,” says one of our coalition members, Danielle Rideout, the Westbrook recovery liaison. “Another recurring factor is lack of healthy connections with family or their community.”
This is compounded by the stigma society attaches to being an “addict.” Too often, those struggling with addiction are blamed for poor personal choices, moral failing and character defects, which only fuels the disease, increases isolation, and makes them feel unvalued. This perpetuates a deadly cycle that increases harm to people who use drugs and to those in recovery.
When someone is ready to seek help, it can be difficult to access because Maine sorely lacks treatment facilities. Since Milestone Recovery in Portland temporarily closed last month because of a staffing shortage, our state is down to only two detox facilities that accept MaineCare, with waitlists up to six months. In the meantime, we try to keep people alive or out of jail while they wait for help. Our society can do better. We need to do better.
With so many factors contributing to substance use disorder, we need systemic change that also addresses these underlying factors. It starts by changing our biases – conscious or unconscious – about people with substance use disorders and opening our hearts and minds. We all play a role in preventing prescription medication misuse. When you see someone struggling with the disease, reach out and let them know they matter by helping them connect with someone who can assist them. You can start by calling 211 Maine or the Cumberland County Crisis Response line at (207) 774-4357.
While we work toward long-term systemic change through legislation, funding, reducing access and eliminating stigma, I would remind us all of the ripple effect it can have when we take the time to demonstrate kindness and show someone battling substance use disorder that they do matter and they are not alone. This compassion can be life-saving.
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