Governor Janet T. Mills (D), Addresses the 200 or so at the First Aannual Housing Summit at Oxean Gateway, Portland Earlier This Year.

Governor Janet T. MIlls (D), the state’s first woman governor, announced this morning that Maine experienced one of the nation’s largest percentage decreases in fatal overdoses in 2023, according to preliminary statistical analysis released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this mornng.

Overall, the US CDC found that drug overdose deaths in the US decreased by 3% in 2023, the first annual decrease since 2018.  Drug overdose deaths in Maine decreased by nearly 16% over this same period; only Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana also saw decreases of 15% or more, according to the report from the US CDCs National Center for Health Stastics.

This new provisional data comes as the Mills Administration continues to combat the opioid epidemic by expanding availability and distribution of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone; strengthening drug prevention initiatives in communities and schools and increasing the number of treatment beds across the state, among other strategies.

“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.  While we are cautiously optimistic, we know our work is far from over” said Governor Mills.  “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.”

Please visit post herein dated May 2, 2024 for information on Governor Mills’ support for the expansion of the Milestone Rccovery facility on Andover Street, in Portland.