Law enforcement has an indispensable role to play in helping the nation respond to the opioid drug crisis, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday after meeting in Portland with local law enforcement officials. “Enforcement of drug laws is never more important than now,” Sessions said during a news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. […]
opioid
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Gridlock breaks as Legislature’s budget committee agrees on $41 million in spending
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Monday to endorse a package of bills that would add about $41 million in spending to the state’s two-year budget, with much of the funding aimed at helping those with disabilities, the elderly or people in the grip of opioid use disorders. The 12-0 vote on […]
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Posted inConnections, sj-web, The Franklin Journal
UMF to present second annual Addiction Forum on April 4
FARMINGTON — With the continuing opioid crisis and the impact of addiction on families, the University of Maine at Farmington is presenting its second annual “Addiction Forum” from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the North Dining Halls, UMF Olsen Student Center. The event is free and open to the public. The forum […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump's opioid plan includes death penalty for traffickers
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to combat opioid drug addiction nationwide calls for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including the death penalty where appropriate under current law, a top administration official said. It’s a fate for drug dealers that Trump, who aims to be seen as tough on crime, has been highlighting publicly […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine emergency room visits for opioid overdoses jumped 34 percent in 2017
Emergency department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased by 34 percent in Maine from 2016 to 2017, during a time when drug overdose deaths in the state reached an all-time high. At the same time, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island all reported decreases in emergency department visits for opioid overdoses, making Maine the only […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine chief justice proposes new drug court in response to opioid crisis
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Chief Justice Leigh Saufley used her annual address to lawmakers Tuesday to propose a new drug court in response to the opioid crisis, provide an update on digitizing court records — and announce that she’s battled breast cancer. Saufley said she was diagnosed last summer thanks to an annual test that […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine falls behind other states in efforts to prevent overdose deaths
AUGUSTA — In New Hampshire, an online map locates scores of pharmacies where anyone can buy an over-the-counter dose of naloxone, a medication that saves lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. In Utah, the state health director issued a standing order authorizing any pharmacist to dispense naloxone. In North Carolina, the Republican […]
Posted inBethel, Franklin, Lewiston-Auburn, Oxford Hills, River Valley, sj-web
Merger, Gallant among area’s top 10 stories of 2017
Try describing 2017 in a concise way. We dare you. In Maine, as in the rest of the country, it was a year that started with a loud and often ugly political debate that never seemed to end. There were scandals of all kinds and tragedies almost too immense to bear. Locally, the idea to […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Officials say Donald Trump's opioid emergency won't mean new money
This Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to declare the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency won’t bring new dollars to fight a scourge that kills more than 100 Americans each day, but […]
Posted inLocal & State
Maine lawmakers want to expand, evaluate opioid abuse treatment
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine lawmakers are set to consider bills to protect babies exposed to drugs and support peer recovery. More than one person a day died from drug overdoses in Maine last year, and lawmakers this year have taken steps to increase access to medication-assisted treatment. About a dozen bills are set for public […]