Maine heroin/opioids

Published
April 4, 2017

In fight against opioids, prevention’s crucial but often overlooked

Advocates say more study and more investment are needed to stop heroin and other addictive drugs from ever taking hold.
Published
April 4, 2017

Waking up: As state response lags, communities step up to fight addiction

Police departments, churches, health care institutions and municipalities recognize the need to invest in a remedy to the opioid crisis. Slowly, even the government is coming around.
Published
April 3, 2017

Cumberland County Jail inmate suffers drug overdose

Danyielle Banks, 43, of Biddeford was administered Narcan after displaying 'seizure-like symptoms,' a jail official says.
Published
April 3, 2017

Opioid addiction is different for women

Here’s why: • Women use substances differently than men, and can become addicted while using smaller amounts of certain drugs for less time. • Sex hormones can make women more sensitive than men to the effects of some drugs. Women may have more drug cravings and may be more likely to relapse after treatment. • Women who use […]
Published
April 3, 2017

Lives lost: A homemaker, a Preble Street caseworker, a runner, a class clown

Published
April 3, 2017

Women in peril: Female addicts face distinct – and deadly – disadvantages

With fewer institutional resources and a greater biological threat, women entangled in the opioid epidemic must overcome gender-specific hurdles to recovery, including child-care considerations, social pressures and stigma often complicated by the specter of sexual trauma.
Published
April 2, 2017

Lives lost: A lobsterman, a stepfather, a NASCAR fan, a former Marine
Published
April 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.
Published
April 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.
Published
April 2, 2017

Heroin took hold of 3 lobstering brothers — and didn’t let go of one

The father of Sam Stevens lets his son's addiction go public, signaling that an insidious threat lurks within the Machias community.