PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Police Department details five fatal drug overdoses in just 11 days in a press release Friday. The victims were a 49-year-old female, a 22-year-old male, a 24-year-old male, a 35-year-old female, and a 24-year-old male. Police say one of the deaths was an intentional overdose. The deaths remain under investigation by the Portland Police Criminal Investigation Division and the MDEA.
Nine of the overdoses were believed to be from the use of opioids (heroin or fentanyl), two from Methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana (commonly referred to as spice), and opioids are believed to be the cause of death in at least two of the five fatalities.
“This is a concerning spike we felt necessary to advise the public about so that users and families know what resources and help are available to them,” Portland Police Chief Frank Clark said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement, public health, and prevention partners in hopes of turning the tide on this epidemic.”
Between 2008 and 2018 Portland had 318 deaths that were attributed to overdoses. A Maine Drug Death Report released Wednesday shows there were 277 drug-related deaths in the first nine months of 2019, forecasting the total to be 369—a 4 percent spike since 2018.
Naloxone (Narcan), an overdose reversal drug, is available at the pharmacy without a prescription. Additionally, the Portland Public Health Division offers no-cost Narcan as well as Overdose Recognition & Response training.
Drug prevention resources in the Portland area:
- Unused or expired prescription medication can be safely disposed of 24/7 in the Portland Police Department lobby.
- For more information on youth substance use prevention, please contact Janet Dosseva at (207) 874-8452 or jdosseva@portlandmaine.gov.
- More information on the Needle Exchange Program
- More information on the Overdose Prevention Project
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