GRAY — Taking the first steps for Gray and New Gloucester to deal with increases in drug overdoses in the communities during the past two years brought local agency experts to a public workshop this week.
Now, these communities will plan the next steps: to implement an action plan and form a strategy plan.
Gray Town Council Chairman Matthew Sturgis said, “This is a very important event for our community and important to everyone in this room. In these small towns in Maine, stuff is happening. We can’t sit here and wring our hands and say this is the worst thing possible.
“We need to raise awareness in schools and reach out to our communities to make things happen,” he said.
Christina Foster, a parent of three children, said, “My heart breaks for these people addicted. How do you prevent it as parents? Those statistics are sobering and makes me want to throw up. I want help to deal with my 8-, 12- and 13-year-old children.”
“Parents are the No. 1 asset in children’s lives,” said Beth Blakeman-Pohl, program director of Casco Bay CAN, a resource agency.
Those in attendance included representatives from Maine State Police, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Gray-New Gloucester Emergency Medical Service, Casco Bay CAN, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the community health promotion specialist for the city of Portland’s Abuse Prevention Program.
SAD 15 Superintendent Bruce Beasley, joined by school board members, teachers and the school’s resource officer, said focus is needed on parents’ skills, including community resources and increased law enforcement response.
Maine State Police say the problem affects everybody. Up to 90 percent of burglaries, car crashes make everyone a victim of what’s going on is tied to drug use.
Cmdr. Scott Pelletier of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, said, “The leading cause of injury death is drug overdose in the nation.”
“In 2012, Maine health care providers wrote the highest number of prescription medication doses than any other state. In 2014, Maine saw 208 drug-induced deaths and in the first nine months of 2015, 240 overdose deaths have been reported with two deaths every three days.
The number of drug-affected babies born increased from 165 in 2005 to 1,031 in 2015 with average hospital stay at 17 days at a cost of $66,000 per child.
Pelletier added that 1,115 people needed treatment programs in 2010 while 3,364 people are trying to get treatment for substance abuse issues.
Addiction is a medical problem and a public health issue.
Cumberland County Deputy Patrick Ferriter is the SAD 15 school resource officer at Gray-New Gloucester Middle and High schools. “Addiction is expensive with long and arduous treatment. School is doing things to help,” he said.
“But students are only in school 6½ hours per day and there is need to focus on the remaining 18 hours. If you have drug problems, you have a problem with human trafficking, sex trafficking and distribution, he said.
“We have to get to youth at a young age. We want to be proactive and preventive,” Ferriter said.
Gray and New Gloucester Rescue units responded to three overdose deaths in Gray in 2015 and two in New Gloucester.
New Gloucester Fire Chief James Ladewig said, “This causes a strain on manpower and personnel. All personnel live in New Gloucester and (respond) to calls to their neighbors. This is a very sobering time for them in an emotional way.”
New Gloucester Selectman Jane Sturgis said, “The need for available treatment is important combined with access to health insurance for people who can’t afford it.”
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