AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The former surgeon general of the U.S. is scheduled to speak at a summit in Maine about the state’s response to its opioid crisis.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has scheduled the second annual Opioid Response Summit for Thursday. Former surgeon general Vivek Murthy is slated to deliver the keynote address at the event.
A recent state report said the state’s overdose crisis is worsening amid the coronavirus pandemic. The report said there were 127 deaths caused by drugs in the first quarter, a 23% increase over the fourth quarter of 2019.
Mills is also scheduled to speak at the event, which is a virtual summit this year to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The governor’s office said Mills will speak about her administration’s ongoing efforts to address the opioid epidemic in the state.
