Overdose Deaths Top 100,000
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths from opioids, synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl), and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine in the U.S. during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the same period the year before.
Methamphetamines are highly addictive and can have a negative and lasting impact on the brain. Methamphetamine - also known as meth, ice, crystal meth, crystal, or crank - is a powerful stimulant that impacts the brain and central nervous system, creating feelings of intense excitement, happiness, and/or energy by interfering with natural dopamine production. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that helps us to experience joy. Our brain naturally creates dopamine all the time. When someone uses methamphetamine, their brain goes into overdrive and produces large amounts of dopamine. However, those levels quickly dip well below where they started.
Long-term meth use may cause anxiety, confusion, paranoia, mood swings, problems sleeping, dental issues, and/or violent outbursts. These effects may last for a long time even after a person stops using. Continued meth use damages the brain’s dopamine receptors. After just one month of use, it can take up to 14 months for those receptors to recover. This reduces the ability to experience true joy for more than a year.
Methamphetamine use and overdoses are on the rise in Maine. In the first two months of 2021, nearly 1 in 4 of the 100 overdose deaths in Maine were attributed to meth.
The withdrawal from methamphetamine is unlike that experienced with other substances. Symptoms are more behavioral than physical and may include suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, paranoia, and excessive tiredness. There are no FDA-approved treatments for meth addiction, making treatment and recovery that much more difficult. Learn more at 211maine.org.
Healthy Acadia’s prevention team is partnering with local law enforcement agencies and media outlets to raise awareness about the risks and increasing prevalence of meth use. Our Recovery Coaches can help people trying to stop using meth find options for treatment and offer support.
Overdoses and overdose deaths from opioids are also on the rise - 2021 has been Maine’s deadliest year to date, with a record number of opioid overdose deaths. The increase in drug deaths is being increasingly driven by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, combined with other drugs. Harm reduction tools such as Naloxone, a medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose, can save lives.
Our community health educators are working to increase public awareness of available harm reduction tools and resources. We train community members to administer Naloxone and can provide a free opioid overdose prevention toolkit for those who complete the training. If you would like to get trained on how to administer Naloxone please fill out this form.
Learn more about harm reduction tools and resources for substance prevention and recovery here.
To request a Recovery Coach or for help finding additional resources in your community, click the “Need Help?” button, which can be found at the top of every page on our website.