Sorg’s Research on Drug Overdose Deaths in Maine in BDN
Drug overdose deaths in Maine continue to surge, fueled largely by an increase in deaths due to fentanyl, as reported by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. Marcella Sorg of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.
Attorney General Janet T. Mills today released statistics on drug overdose deaths through the first nine months of 2016. With 286 deaths through the end of September, overdose deaths have already exceeded the total number for all of 2015 when there were 272 drug overdose deaths in Maine. This dramatic increase is mainly due to illicitly manufactured (non-pharmaceutical) fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, although the number of deaths due to other drugs is also increasing. Many are due to combinations of drugs.
Dr. Marcella Sorg, research professor at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, is a medical and forensic anthropologist who analyzes overdose deaths in Maine for the state’s attorney general.
The Bangor Daily News reported on the issue in today’s article, ‘One person a day is dying’ in Maine, drug overdose numbers surpass 2015.
‘One person a day is dying’ in Maine, drug overdose numbers surpass 2015
The Portland Press Herald also reports on the issue: Drug overdose deaths in Maine now averaging 1 a day.