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Article - Maine tops nation in prescription drug abuse

Summary/Abstract

Maine, notorious in some circles for having given rise to a national epidemic of painkiller abuse and addiction, now officially tops the nation in the percentage of residents seeking treatment for addiction to prescription narcotics.

Content

A recent report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that since 1998, Mainers have consistently sought treatment for addiction to non-heroin opiates — such as the popular painkiller OxyContin — at rates significantly higher than in other states or in the nation as a whole. State officials and others said Monday that the report reflects a reality they have acknowledged for years and underscores the need for continued collaboration between public and private agencies. Released in December, the study shows that Maine has consistently topped other states in opiate treatment admissions. From just 28 Mainers per 100,000 total residents admitted for treatment in 1998, the rate has risen steadily to 386 admissions per 100,000 residents in 2008. The national rate in 1998 was just nine per 100,000 and had risen to 45 per 100,000 in 2008. New England states as a region have seen the highest rates of non heroin opiate addiction admissions, with an admission rate of 131 individuals per 100,000 residents in 2008. Vermont and Rhode Island immediately trailed Maine that year, with 331 and 128 admissions per 100,000 residents, respectively.