BANGOR, Maine — Maine was one of four states in the U.S. that showed a decrease in drug overdose deaths last year.
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maine, Indiana, Kansas, and Nebraska each had decreases in the number of total overdose deaths in 2023 when compared to data that tracked total overdose deaths for 2022.
There was at least a 15 percent decline in each of the four states, with Maine specifically having a 16 percent decrease in overall overdose deaths.
That 16 percent decrease equates to 116 fewer people who lost their lives from overdoses last year.
There were 10,000 drug overdoses in Maine last year, and 9,047 of those overdoses were successfully reversed.
Those like Health Equity Alliance's (HEAL) harm reduction supervisor June Evergreen, who works to support people struggling with addiction, say their helping hands know no barriers.
"The misconception that I'm choosing that lifestyle; there was a series of unfortunate events that brought me to that space," Evergreen said as she explains what she feels was people's biggest misunderstanding of her when she was in active use. "I remember trying really hard to make different choices for myself."
Now, as she rejoices in four years of recovery, Evergreen remembers when her own desire to overcome addiction wasn't enough to pull her through, and she also remembers the helping hands from all over that reached in to make her stronger.
Community Care Partnership of Maine's medical director for research and innovation Dr. Noah Nesin said by the State Legislature making overdose reversal drugs like Narcan widely available, medical professionals and even everyday people helped contribute to last year's 16 percent decline in overdose deaths.
"There's no other circumstance in which we would contemplate allowing someone to die when we can save their life," Nesin said.
Nesin explained that he believes increasing the dosage for medications like Suboxone, Methadone, and Naltrexone, which are all medications used to treat opioid use disorder, was also helpful in decreasing the number of total overall overdoses.
"With the transition from heroin to fentanyl, the doses that were effective for heroin are not effective for fentanyl," he said. "And we're finding that higher doses have to be used."
According to the Maine Drug Data Hub, in 2022, 723 people in Maine died of overdoses. In 2023, that number dropped to 607.
But it's not just treatment and widespread access to Narcan that play key roles in keeping people alive. It's the willingness of doctors like Dr. Nesin to step out of their medical offices to teach church congregations how to administer Narcan.
Peg Olson, who is a member of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Brewer said church members were extremely open to receiving training from Dr. Nesin.
"We fight for the little guy," Olson said.
Passionate harm reduction supervisors like Evergreen and her coworkers at HEAL catch people who are sometimes not ready or who feel too ashamed to seek help from churches or doctors in their web of love and support.
"It's beautiful because I'm glad that they have that space, but it's so scary and unfortunate that this is one of the only places that a lot of folks have where they feel like a human being," Evergreen said.
Dr. Nesin writes Narcan prescriptions for HEAL, and many other organizations and nonprofits that work on the frontlines to help people find their way out of their darkest tunnels.
Nesin said some people struggling with addiction find it unpleasant to interact with the health care system, explaining that it can sometimes be a stigmatizing experience.
He said that to continue to see decreases in overdose deaths, medical professionals have to continue to do the work to make doctor offices feel like judgement-free zones.
"We have to increasingly allow people who have an opioid use disorder to know that they're welcome in our practice. That we want to take care of them," he said.
Nesin said he believes meeting people where they are is critical, and he said organizations like HEAL help close the gaps that people struggling often easily fall through.
Wherever those struggling fall, helping hands are present to lead Mainers on their journeys to recovery.
"You know that phrase, 'many hands make light work,'" Evergreen said.
Evergreen lends words of encouragement to anyone who is on their journey to recovery.
"You matter. Your life matters. Your health matters," she said. "You're not alone and to give yourself grace. This is not an easy journey, and it takes a lot of falling off the horse and getting back on."
The downward trend for overdose deaths has continued into 2024. According to the most recent data from Maine Drug Data Hub, there was one less fatal overdose during the first three months of this year when compared to last year.