A new report shows more than 500 Mainers died from drug overdoses in 2020, representing a 33% increase from 2019.
The numbers compiled by USM’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and released by the state show 504 deaths were caused by drugs in 2020, compared to 380 the year before.
Breaking those numbers down, the Attorney General’s Office says 336 of those deaths were caused by non-pharmaceutical fentanyl, a 30% increase over 2019.
They also released new overdose numbers for March and April, showing an estimated 53 individuals died from drug overdoses in March; 30 of those deaths are confirmed and 23 are suspected. In April, an estimated 48 people died from overdoses, with 10 confirmed and 38 suspected.
In a statement, Attorney General Aaron M. Frey said, “no single intervention will solve this crisis. I am hopeful that initiatives underway in the Mills Administration, such as the MaineMOM Initiative highlighted in the March 2021 report, will lead to positive outcomes. It is incumbent on leaders from all across Maine to come to the table to pursue solutions which will save lives.”
Frey also pointed to a bill signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on Tuesday, which would establish the Accidental Overdose Death Review Panel within the Attorney General’s Office. The panel would study specific overdose cases and make recommendations to prevent more deaths.
