Maine, home to 1.33 million of American citizens and is the ninth least populous of the U.S. states and territories. The state used to be one of the leading producers of paper, wood products, wood, fish, and lobster. Maine’s economy doesn’t only depend on trading but also in mining, agriculture, manufacturing and other personal services.
Currently, Maine is on the 18th spot of the state rankings in the US. The state has a median household income of $51,494 in 2015, was slightly below the national average of $55,775.
The reason for this is because of the deterioration of production textiles, shoes, processed food, paper and wood products. Not only the manufacturing area depleted but as well a shrinking agricultural industry, fish stocks also have been exhausted.
While other industries and source of income have closed and some are struggling to stay afloat, the government of Maine is trying to revert the economy through tourism.
Beneath the problem in the economy the state of Maine is facing, there is also an epidemic that needs dealing. This epidemic is the current drug problem in Maine.
For the year of 2016, a total of deaths caused by drug overdose reached 376. These 376 deaths were caused by opioids, prescription painkillers, heroin and now fentanyl, a potent synthetic. An alarming rate. Imagine having almost 1.5 casualties per day. More than traffic accidents, suicide, or cancer.
As 2017 approached, this hasn’t changed instead it has increased. From January to June 2017, 185 deaths have been linked to drug overdoses, and casualties are rising as of writing.
So what are the drugs that caused an overdose of Maine?
Several drugs may have had caused overdose and deaths all over the citizens of Maine, but its authorities have identified three of them. Here they are:
1. Opioids
What are opioids?
Opioids are substances that act on our opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. They’re primarily used for pain-relievers or anesthesia.
How potent is it?
Opioids include components such as OxyContin and Vicodin. As mentioned that this kind of drug affects the human opioid receptors it produces a sense of well-being while reducing the perception of pain. People who are abusing opioid crush the pills to either snort or inject opioid. By doing this, this doesn’t only increase the euphoria but also increases the risk for further medical severe complications, such as cardiac arrest, coma, and addiction. Mostly, opioids are illegally sold in the streets or passed on by friends at parties.
2. Heroin
Also known as diamorphine, commonly used as a recreational drug because of its euphoric effects. Heroin is typically injected, smoked, snorted or inhaled. Heroin side effects often include decreased breathing, dry mouth, euphoria, and addiction. Other side effects might include abscesses, infected heart valves, blood-borne infections, constipation, pneumonia, and death.
3. Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a pain medication that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. This drug is illegally made and is being used by most addicts as a recreational drug. This drug is often disguised as other medications or mixed with heroin. It has lead to thousands of overdose deaths from 2000 to 2017. Sadly, Maine isn’t exempted from having Fentanyl-related casualties.
So those were the drugs that caused an overdose of Maine. Truly, this epidemic needs to be addressed by the government. Although, we could understand that people could go through depression because of fewer opportunities and the state’s economic status. The drug problem in Maine should be on the table and up for discussion. If it’s ignored for a long time, then death tolls may continue to increase.
Cities of Maine
- Abbot
- Acton
- Addison
- Albion
- Alexander
- Alfred
- Allagash
- Alna
- Alton
- Amherst
- Amity
- Andover
- Anson
- Appleton
- Arrowsic
- Arundel
- Ashland
- Athens
- Atkinson
- Auburn
- Augusta
- Aurora
- Avon
- Baileyville
- Baldwin
- Bancroft
- Bangor
- Bar Harbor
- Bath
- Beals
- Beaver Cove
- Beddington
- Belfast
- Belgrade
- Belmont
- Benton
- Berwick
- Bethel
- Biddeford
- Bingham
- Blaine
- Blue Hill
- Boothbay
- Boothbay Harbor
- Bowdoin
- Bowdoinham
- Bowerbank
- Bradford
- Bradley
- Bremen
- Brewer
- Bridgewater
- Bridgton
- Bristol
- Brooklin
- Brooks
- Brooksville
- Brownfield
- Brownville
- Brunswick
- Buckfield
- Bucksport
- Burlington
- Burnham
- Buxton
- Byron
- Calais
- Cambridge
- Camden
- Canaan
- Canton
- Cape Elizabeth
- Caratunk
- Caribou
- Carmel
- Carrabassett Valley
- Carthage
- Casco
- Castine
- Castle Hill
- Caswell
- Chapman
- Charleston
- Charlotte
- Chebeage Island
- Chelsea
- Cherryfield
- Chester
- Chesterville
- China
- Clifton
- Clinton
- Columbia
- Columbia Falls
- Cooper
- Corinna
- Corinth
- Cornish
- Cornville
- Cranberry Isles
- Crawford
- Crystal
- Cumberland
- Cushing
- Cutler
- Damariscotta
- Danforth
- Dayton
- Deblois
- Dedham
- Deer Isle
- Denmark
- Dennysville
- Detroit
- Dexter
- Dixfield
- Dixmont
- Dover-Foxcroft
- Dresden
- Durham
- Dyer Brook
- Eagle Lake
- East Machias
- East Millinocket
- Eastbrook
- Easton
- Eastport
- Eddington
- Edgecomb
- Edinburg
- Eliot
- Ellsworth
- Embden
- Enfield
- Etna
- Eustis
- Exeter
- Fairfield
- Falmouth
- Farmingdale
- Farmington
- Fayette
- Fort Fairfield
- Fort Kent
- Frankfort
- Franklin
- Freedom
- Freeport
- Frenchboro
- Frenchville
- Friendship
- Frye Island
- Fryeburg
- Gardiner
- Garland
- Georgetown
- Gilead
- Glenburn
- Gorham
- Gouldsboro
- Grand Isle
- Gray
- Great Pond
- Greenbush
- Greene
- Greenville
- Greenwood
- Guilford
- Hallowell
- Hamlin
- Hammond
- Hampden
- Hancock
- Hanover
- Harmony
- Harpswell
- Harrington
- Harrison
- Hartford
- Hartland
- Haynesville
- Hebron
- Hermon
- Hersey
- Hiram
- Hodgdon
- Holden
- Hollis
- Hope
- Houlton
- Howland
- Hudson
- Industry
- Island Falls
- Isle Au Haut
- Islesboro
- Jackman
- Jackson
- Jay
- Jefferson
- Jonesboro
- Jonesport
- Kenduskeag
- Kennebunk
- Kennebunkport
- Kingfield
- Kittery
- Knox
- Lagrange
- Lakeville
- Lamoine
- Lebanon
- Lee
- Leeds
- Levant
- Lewiston
- Liberty
- Limerick
- Limestone
- Limington
- Lincoln
- Lincolnville
- Linneus
- Lisbon
- Litchfield
- Littleton
- Livermore
- Livermore Falls
- Long Island
- Lovell
- Lowell
- Lubec
- Ludlow
- Lyman
- Machias
- Machiasport
- Madawaska
- Madison
- Manchester
- Mapleton
- Mariaville
- Mars Hill
- Marshfield
- Masardis
- Mattawamkeag
- Maxfield
- Mechanic Falls
- Meddybemps
- Medford
- Medway
- Mercer
- Merrill
- Mexico
- Milbridge
- Milford
- Millinocket
- Milo
- Minot
- Monmouth
- Monroe
- Monson
- Monticello
- Montville
- Moose River
- Morrill
- Moscow
- Mount Chase
- Mount Desert
- Mount Vernon
- Naples
- New Canada
- New Gloucester
- New Limerick
- New Portland
- New Sharon
- New Sweden
- New Vineyard
- Newburgh
- Newcastle
- Newfield
- Newport
- Newry
- Nobleboro
- Norridgewock
- North Berwick
- North Haven
- North Yarmouth
- Northfield
- Northport
- Norway
- Oakfield
- Oakland
- Ogunquit
- Old Orchard Beach
- Old Town
- Orient
- Orland
- Orono
- Orrington
- Osborn
- Otis
- Otisfield
- Owls Head
- Oxford
- Palermo
- Palmyra
- Paris
- Parkman
- Parsonsfield
- Passadumkeag
- Patten
- Pembroke
- Penobscot
- Perham
- Perry
- Peru
- Phillips
- Phippsburg
- Pittsfield
- Pittston
- Plymouth
- Poland
- Portage Lake
- Porter
- Portland
- Pownal
- Presque Isle
- Princeton
- Prospect
- Randolph
- Rangeley
- Raymond
- Readfield
- Richmond
- Ripley
- Robbinston
- Rockland
- Rockport
- Rome
- Roque Bluffs
- Roxbury
- Rumford
- Sabattus
- Saco
- Sanford
- Sangerville
- Scarborough
- Searsmont
- Searsport
- Sebago
- Sebec
- Sedgwick
- Shapleigh
- Sherman
- Shirley
- Sidney
- Skowhegan
- Smithfield
- Smyrna
- Solon
- Somerville
- Sorrento
- South Berwick
- South Bristol
- South Portland
- Southport
- SouthThomaston
- Southwest Harbor
- Springfield
- St. George
- St. Agatha
- St. Albans
- St. Francis
- Stacyville
- Standish
- Starks
- Stetson
- Steuben
- Stockholm
- Stockton Springs
- Stoneham
- Stonington
- Stow
- Strong
- Sullivan
- Sumner
- Surry
- Swans Island
- Swanville
- Sweden
- Talmadge
- Temple
- Thomaston
- Thorndike
- Topsfield
- Topsham
- Tremont
- Trenton
- Troy
- Turner
- Union
- Unity
- Upton
- Van Buren
- Vanceboro
- Vassalboro
- Veazie
- Verona Island
- Vienna
- Vinalhaven
- Wade
- Waite
- Waldo
- Waldoboro
- Wales
- Wallagrass
- Waltham
- Warren
- Washburn
- Washington
- Waterboro
- Waterford
- Waterville
- Wayne
- Weld
- Wellington
- Wells
- Wesley
- West Bath
- West Gardiner
- West Paris
- Westbrook
- Westfield
- Westmanland
- Weston
- Westport Island
- Whitefield
- Whiting
- Whitneyville
- Willimantic
- Wilton
- Windham
- Windsor
- Winn
- Winslow
- Winter Harbor
- Winterport
- Winthrop
- Wiscasset
- Woodland
- Woodstock
- Woodville
- Woolwich
- Yarmouth
- York