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Youth

Maine Receives $150,000 in Funding to Combat Youth Opioid and Methamphetamine Abuse

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The state of Maine has been devastated by the opioid crisis, with a record 504 Mainers dying from overdoses last year, exceeding the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in 2020. In response to this growing issue, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have announced that three organizations in Maine have received a total of $150,000 in funding to reduce opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth. The funding was awarded through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Local Drug Crisis Program, a legislation co-sponsored by Senators Collins and King to combat the opioid epidemic.

Key Takeaways:

  • Three organizations in Maine received a total of $150,000 in funding to reduce opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth: Choose To Be Healthy Coalition, Sebasticook Valley Health, and Healthy Lincoln County Substance Use Prevention Partnership.
  • The funding was awarded through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Local Drug Crisis Program, legislation co-sponsored by Senators Collins and King to combat the opioid epidemic.
  • The money will be used to provide prevention, treatment, and recovery resources to create a lasting, positive impact on the lives of young Mainers.
  • The CARA funding is crucial to the Choose To Be Healthy Coalition, which relies on federal and state grants to sustain their efforts to build youth resiliency and prevent the drug use that often accompanies youth isolation, anxiety, and depression.
  • The funding will support evidence-based programs, education, and support for youth and families, including intensive outreach and education for LGBTQ youth and their families.
  • The CARA Local Drug Crisis Program aims to support communities in preventing and reducing local drug use, including opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug misuse, among youth between the ages of 12 and 18.

Statistics:

  • 504 Mainers died from overdoses in 2020.
  • The number of overdose deaths in Maine exceeded the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in 2020.
  • $150,000 in funding was awarded to three organizations in Maine to reduce opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth.
  • $50,000 was awarded to each of the three organizations: Choose To Be Healthy Coalition, Sebasticook Valley Health, and Healthy Lincoln County Substance Use Prevention Partnership.

Sources:

  • Senators Susan Collins and Angus King statement, [no date]
  • Sally Manninen, Director, Choose To Be Healthy Coalition and Community Health, [no date]
  • Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Local Drug Crisis Program, [no date]

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