Since the opioid epidemic started gripping communities all over the United States in 1999, overdose deaths have only skyrocketed in Maine — from 34 in 1997 to 66 in 1999, according to information on the Maine Drug Data Hub website.
Each wave is marked by an increase in sustained yearly opioid deaths.
The first wave from 1999-2010 saw in increase in Maine — from 66 in 1999 to 179 in 2009, according to Drug Data Hub data. Deaths rose even more during the second wave of the epidemic, from 167 in 2010 to 176 in 2013. But the third wave has proven to be the deadliest so far, from 208 in 2014 to 722 in 2022.
In the earlier days of the opioid epidemic, Narcan and training in its use were scarcely available to treat overdose patients.. The first steps was to ensure that first responders and law enforcement officers had access to it and training. Now the drug is widely available to civilians and first responders.
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