U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) has vowed to support efforts both at the state and federal levels to fight drug abuse.
“It’s no secret that Maine, and the country, has seen an increase in drug abuse, especially with heroin, in recent years,” Poliquin said in a recent statement.
Nationally, heroin-related overdose deaths have skyrocketed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The CDC reported this summer that such deaths increased 286 percent from 2002 to 2013 across the U.S.
“We all know that this type of drug abuse can break families apart and can be detrimental to individuals and entire communities alike,” Poliquin said.
At the state level, Poliquin recently commended Maine Gov. Paul LePage for convening the Drug Crisis Summit, which brought together representatives from law enforcement, the justice system and substance-abuse treatment programs, among others, to address what the governor called the state’s “heroin crisis.”
During 2014, for instance, more than 200 Maine residents died from drug overdoses, with 14 heroin overdoses recently occurring in Portland during a 24-hour period, state data said.
After the summit, Maine officials said the state will use the state police intelligence center, as well as additional resources from the National Guard, to combat drug trafficking.
“I appreciate the governor for taking this first step in tackling this issue that is plaguing our state and country,” Poliquin said.
“As Maine’s Second District congressman, I will continue to fight to curb this alarming trend of drug abuse and to give our communities, families, medical personnel and law-enforcement members the tools needed to combat it,” Poliquin said.
Poliquin said on Tuesday that the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) will award grants to two Maine coalitions as part of the FY 2015 Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.
The FY 2015 DFC awards are part of a cohort of 188 new and 486 continuation grantees across the nation, the ONDCP said.
“The Drug-Free Communities Support Program will help provide the necessary resources for our Maine coalitions to help curb drug abuse,” Poliquin said.
Specifically, in Poliquin’s district, both the Healthy Aroostook Coalition and the Healthy Sebasticook Valley Coalition each will receive a $125,000 grant for their work toward mobilizing individuals and organizations to reduce youth substance abuse.
Additionally, several other Maine continuation grantees also will receive $125,000 in funding as part of the DFC program, including the Bangor Public Health Advisory Board Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force and the River Valley Health Communities Coalition in Rumford, among others.