Maine had one of the largest decreases in overdose deaths in the nation last year

At the Homeless Services Center in Portland, suboxone treatment, which is used to treat opioid dependence, is part of routine care. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Data released by the federal government on Wednesday shows that Maine had the fifth largest reduction in drug overdose deaths from December 2022 to December 2023 compared to the previous 12-month period.

Still, even with that 16.1% drop in deaths, advocates say far too many Mainers are dying from overdoses, with fatalities in 2023 alone estimated at slightly over 600. 

Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that overdose deaths across the nation dipped by 3% in 2023, the first reduction over an annual period since 2018. 

Maine’s decrease of 16.1% from the record number of overdose deaths the state saw in 2022 far surpassed that national average and was the fifth largest percentage reduction in the country after North Carolina, Nebraska, Indiana and Kansas. Fellow New England states Rhode Island (15.9%) and New Hampshire (13%) saw similar decreases in overdose deaths. 

The data from the CDC is provisional, as the agency noted that the information is “incomplete and subject to change” as more statistics are reported. 

In a news release Wednesday, Gov. Janet Mills said those provisional numbers demonstrate that Maine is heading in the right direction. 

“This encouraging federal data shows that the policies enacted by my administration and the Legislature are making meaningful progress in our fight against the opioid epidemic,” Mills said. 

“While we are cautiously optimistic, we know our work is far from over,” the governor added. “We will continue to work with partners across the state to prevent substance abuse disorder, to expand treatment options for those facing addiction, and to save lives.”

Mills cited specific actions her administration has taken, including expanding detox options, funding increased access to medication-assisted treatment in county jails, upping treatment options for substance use disorder, increasing the number of recovery community centers, furthering the distribution of opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, and approving an expansion of the ‘Good Samaritan’ law to encourage people to call for help when someone is overdosing, among other steps. 

Even so, advocates in the recovery community have argued that treatment options in Maine are often still too limited. At a press conference in January, ACLU of Maine policy director Meagan Sway said research has shown that 169,000 Mainers in need can’t access treatment for substance use disorder. 

And after the 16% drop in overdose deaths in 2023 was first reported earlier this year, members of the recovery community said it’s still clear the state is in the midst of a serious crisis. 

“I think it’s hard to talk about this because that’s still 607 people who died last year and I don’t want to celebrate that whatsoever,” Courtney Gary-Allen, organizing director of the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project, told Maine Morning Star in February. “That being said, there is a reduction, and I think we should be proud of the work that we’ve all collectively done on this issue.” 

To continue making progress on the issue, advocates like Gary-Allen pushed for a bill this session to decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs and use the savings to improve treatment options in the state. They argued the number of deaths Maine is seeing each year shows the current approach needs to be adjusted and said that instead of criminalizing drugs — which can make it harder for people to access treatment — the state should view addiction as a public health issue.

However, the Mills administration opposed the measure, saying it went too far at a time when “street drugs are the most lethal they have ever been.” 

The Legislature instead turned the bill into a study of decriminalization. But the measure did not receive final approval from the Senate before lawmakers adjourned last week.  

Advocates have also pushed for allowing the establishment of overdose prevention centers — sites where people can administer previously obtained drugs under medical supervision as a way to prevent overdoses. Mills signed a bill last year to study the use of such centers. 

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