BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A New Year means several new laws have taken effect here in Maine -- addressing a broad range of issues, including curbing the heroin epidemic.
As of Sunday, the maximum dose of opioids many patients will be getting is 100 morphine milligram equivalents per day. That’s according to our media partners at the Portland Press Herald.
That's still considered high to some. The CDC suggests patients with a prescription of 50 MME per day are two times more likely to overdose than those with a prescription of less than 20 MME per day.
The new law also limits prescriptions for chronic pain from 90 days all the way down to 30. Those who need opioids for short term treatment will be getting prescriptions for seven days, instead of ten.
And Maine's minimum wage will go up at the end of the week.
A statewide referendum passed by voters raises the minimum wage to nine dollars an hour on January 7th. It will increase another dollar each year until 2020, when it caps out at $12.
The law will phase out the tip credit by 2024.The owner of Governor's Restaurants said he is in favor of raising the minimum wage, but getting rid of the tip credit will hurt his servers and those on a fixed income.
"A unique ability to have their own sphere of influence there own business, with time and I'm not talking this year, or next year, they're going to lose their ability to make tips because it'll force the business model to change. People on fixed incomes, instead of coming in once a week maybe they'll come in once a month which has me very concerned. It's the single thing that keeps me up at night right now in terms of being a business owner in this state" said Randy Wadleigh owner of Governor's Restaurants.
Another new law means a 50% price hike for season passes to Maine's park system.
Season passes for vehicles are now $105 for the year, that's up from $70. That's also according to the Portland Press Herald.