Lost
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PublishedApril 2, 2017
Many in Stonington, Maine’s lobstering capital, keep quiet about drug problem
But a few people – worried about heroin's impact on the local economy, the fishery and the addicts themselves – believe it's time to speak out.
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PublishedApril 2, 2017
Trapped by heroin: Lobster industry struggles with its deadly secret
Maine lobstermen are plagued by opioid addiction, leading to deaths, ruined lives and even fishing violations to pay for the habit. Some in recovery also recognize the challenge: Getting help to an intensely independent breed that rarely asks for it.
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PublishedApril 1, 2017
Lives lost: A cook, a football champion, a blind skier, a marketing professional
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PublishedApril 1, 2017
Community in crisis: Battle against opioids rages in beaten-down Sanford
Its economic strife and its proximity to the Massachusetts drug trade put the York County city in the cross hairs of the crisis. But forces within Sanford are stepping up and fighting back.
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PublishedMarch 31, 2017
Lives lost: An Air Force veteran, a carpenter, a rapper, a medical marijuana grower
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PublishedMarch 31, 2017
Fragile recovery: Shannon Long’s story illustrates how difficult sobriety can be
The up-and-down journey, marked by the ever-present risk and reality of relapse, means opioid addicts who want to quit – like this 24-year-old mother from western Maine – face a grueling, sometimes lifelong battle.
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PublishedMarch 30, 2017
Lives lost: A natural musician, a volunteer, a landscaper, a ‘Chucky’ fan
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PublishedMarch 30, 2017
Treatment dilemma: No consensus on cure as demand for it explodes
In addition to woefully inadequate treatment resources to meet exploding demand in Maine, there is tension, too, among providers and policymakers over the best way to beat an opioid addiction.
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PublishedMarch 29, 2017
When kids lose a parent to addiction, tell the truth
The rising death toll means more children than ever are confronted by unthinkable loss. When the questions come, experts say, keep it simple and be honest.
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PublishedMarch 29, 2017
The children left behind: As one generation dies, the next one’s in trouble
When children lose parents, the onus falls upon other resources – aging grandparents and the state’s child welfare system – to care for the youngest victims of Maine’s heroin crisis.