PORTLAND, Maine — There have been 37 fatal drug overdoses in Portland so far this year. According to the Portland Police Department, that's a record.
A total of 337 overdose calls have been received altogether in the state's largest city so far in 2022.
State officials say one cause for the uptick in overdoses around the state is related to drugs containing fentanyl. Maine's Director of Opioid Response, Gordan Smith, said the increase of that drug on our streets is an epidemic.
While leaders in Augusta work to solve macro issues related to the opioid crisis, local police officers are responding to calls of overdoses every day.
Portland police officer Garrick Rogers is one of them. He joined the force three years ago and patrols the Bayside neighborhood in the city. Like many fellow officers, he earned his badge to help others.
On Tuesday, he and Jordin Jackson responded to an unusual overdose call on Cedar Street.
“This time there was no breathing, no pulse, and the victim had already been given three doses of Narcan and she wasn’t responding to it," he said Friday.
After administering CPR and other life-saving efforts, the woman became awake and alert. Rogers said there was a crowd surrounding the officers as this happened — many were friends or family members of the victim.
"It shows they’re not lost souls, they’re not lost hope, and there is help out there. They needed the help — it’s just a matter of finding it," he added.
Rogers said he has been able to make connections with the people in the area where he patrols and said anyone can experience a bad string of luck and find themselves in need of help.
Smith said while there isn't "one silver bullet that any state or the federal government has found that's going to fix [the opioid crisis]," health officials need to keep making progress.
He said recent investments in expanding treatment options in rural Maine and focusing on housing options for those in recovery are especially important.
“We can’t expect people to focus on their own recovery if they don’t know where they’re sleeping tonight," he added.
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