AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   Maine’s task force studying the opioid crisis is due to give its recommendations to the Legislature.

The task force has been studying the opioid epidemic, existing programs targeting the crisis and promising programs in other states.

Law enforcement officials say 185 Mainers died of a drug overdose in the first six months of this year. Last year, the total number of deaths was 376.

In 2016, the Maine Opiate Collaborative issued nearly 40 recommendations on combating heroin and opioid abuse. Recommendations included expanding drug treatment courts, allowing prescriptions of a generic medication to treat opioid dependency under MaineCare and enhancing drug prevention programs.

A 2015 report found about one in four primary treatment admissions were related to heroin in 2014, up from seven percent in 2010.