Heroin

Published
March 31, 2017

Lives lost: An Air Force veteran, a carpenter, a rapper, a medical marijuana grower
Published
March 31, 2017

Fragile recovery: Shannon Long’s story illustrates how difficult sobriety can be

The up-and-down journey, marked by the ever-present risk and reality of relapse, means opioid addicts who want to quit – like this 24-year-old mother from western Maine – face a grueling, sometimes lifelong battle.
Published
March 30, 2017

Lives lost: A natural musician, a volunteer, a landscaper, a ‘Chucky’ fan
Published
March 30, 2017

Treatment dilemma: No consensus on cure as demand for it explodes

In addition to woefully inadequate treatment resources to meet exploding demand in Maine, there is tension, too, among providers and policymakers over the best way to beat an opioid addiction.
Published
March 29, 2017

The children left behind: As one generation dies, the next one’s in trouble

When children lose parents, the onus falls upon other resources – aging grandparents and the state’s child welfare system – to care for the youngest victims of Maine’s heroin crisis.

Published
March 29, 2017

When kids lose a parent to addiction, tell the truth

The rising death toll means more children than ever are confronted by unthinkable loss. When the questions come, experts say, keep it simple and be honest.
Published
March 29, 2017

Lives lost: A bartender, a father, a glass blower, a teen
Published
March 28, 2017

Lives lost: A veteran, a loving grandson, a favorite cousin, an only child
Published
March 28, 2017

Disease or bad behavior: Does addiction call for compassion or punishment?

Drugs with the power to disorient a user's moral compass create a fundamental split in how addicts are perceived, and the difference trickles into the public policy and resources meant to combat the crisis. Meanwhile, as the societal response wavers, people are dying.
Published
March 27, 2017

Lives lost: A mechanic, a beloved uncle, a house painter, a young mother