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Home » News » Maine and New England » Portland Police Say They Are Observing an ‘Alarming’ Increase in Lethal Drug Overdoses, 6 Fatalities So Far This Year
Maine and New England

Portland Police Say They Are Observing an ‘Alarming’ Increase in Lethal Drug Overdoses, 6 Fatalities So Far This Year

Edward TomicBy Edward TomicApril 11, 2025Updated:April 11, 202521 Comments2 Mins Read2K Views
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A pile of dirty needles found in a trash pile at the Marginal Way homeless encampment in Portland
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The Portland Police Department say they grappling with an “alarming” surge in drug overdoses, reporting very recent eight cases in a less than 24 hour period, two of which were fatal.

The department issued a press release Friday afternoon stating they have seen a recent increase in drug overdoses.

According to police, the city has seen 129 overdoses in 2025 so far, with six fatalities.

During the same time period last year, the city saw 167 overdoses and six fatalities. Relative to overall instances, the lethality has increased in a year-to-year comparison.

[RELATED: Portland’s Syringe ‘Buyback’ Program Shows Early Success in Reducing Needle Litter, Nearly $4,000 Paid Out in Single Week…]

Portland Police and the city’s Public Health Department urged residents to be aware that Narcan (Naloxone) is available at pharmacies without a prescription, and that the city provides free Narcan and overdose recognition training.

“If you encounter an overdose, please call 911 and stay with the person until first responders arrive,” Portland Police said Friday. “If you are trained, and feel comfortable administering CPR or Naloxone, please know that Maine’s Good Samaritan law protects both the caller and the victim.”

In October, the Portland City Council voted to allocate roughly $1.38 million in opioid settlement funds towards three different public health initiatives related to the opioid crisis: a syringe “buyback” program, the creation of a “low-barrier” daytime homeless shelter and seed funding for an on-peninsula methadone clinic in Portland to treat opioid withdrawal.

[RELATED: Maine Is Handing Out Free “Boofing” Kits to Help Fentanyl Addicts Squirt Drugs Up Their Butts…]

The most recent data on drug overdoses statewide reports that there were a total of 991 overdoses in Maine, as well as 71 fatal overdoses, in January and February of this year –down from 1,371 nonfatal overdoses and 86 fatalities during the same months in 2024.

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Edward Tomic

Edward Tomic is a reporter for The Maine Wire based in Southern Maine. He grew up near Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston University. He can be reached at [email protected]

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Boxcar
Boxcar
11 months ago

What happened to the FREE boofing kits and passing out FREE needles? Looks like city of Portland’s extreme right wing city council is falling down on the job. Maybe they should have volunteers to go out and professionally boof addicts with the correct amount of boofing, and jab/inject the addicts in a safe and friendly environment so they DON’T OD. Maybe play some nice, calming music as the addict is being boofed and jabbed.

7
sandy
sandy
11 months ago

Call our our governor, she cares a lot about illegals, China, and overdoses AND woman sports.

8
sandy
sandy
11 months ago

I was wondering if Our Governor, who as we all know, showed up to show her support for woman athletes competing at the woman’s national college water polo championships this week end
being held at Colby College in Waterville Maine. Young woman from all over the USA are competing for the national title of best college water polo team and we how much our governor supports the girls in sports
Now don’t we

4
Robert M.
Robert M.
11 months ago

WTF do you expect ?
You give them sharp needles and a warm place to shoot up .
You give them Narcam kits and free medical services .
You incentivize them using the dope.
I personally am surprised it’s only SIX that have died .
Get more body bags ready . There will be a few more .

13
bill in Bangor
bill in Bangor
11 months ago

Pushing Narcan as a solution is having predictable results.

17
Dr. Ed
Dr. Ed
11 months ago

What’s with the blue and orange wire?

For totally Macabre reasons, I wonder what the druggies are doing with copper wire…

0
getting played
getting played
11 months ago

wait until china cooks up the next batch in retaliation to the tariffs…. tweekers are gonna drop left and right… thats how the silent war is played….

8
Johnny Rocket
Johnny Rocket
11 months ago

I have been noticing more zombies around lately and thought it was because of the needle exchange across the street.

3
Jesus Murphy
Jesus Murphy
11 months ago

More proof that the ruling class hates you.

6
Norman Linnell
Norman Linnell
11 months ago

Maine needs to face reality and start executing drug traffickers immediately upon conviction .

3
Jay’s been digging
Jay’s been digging
11 months ago

I am baffled by the Portland city council allocating $1.38 million from the opioid settlement funds. I thought that money went directly to the state of Maine not the Portland city council didn’t it?
How do they get to dictate how the money is spent?
Well anyway the Portland city council has really got a handle on the opioid problem now don’t they!

8
Jay’s been digging
Jay’s been digging
11 months ago

Maybe next time the Portland city council will recommend they need more cocain to stop there opioid addiction.

6
Joel
Joel
11 months ago

Perhaps it’s time to give ANY drug dealer a mandatory sentence of 20 years. It would be nice if the DA actually prosecuted ANYONE. Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline A. Sartoris.…doesn’t like to prosecute illegals or anyone of color or certain offenses. Another Soros plant elected by the MA and CT liberals infesting our state. Take a look at the Portland City Council, is it any f’n wonder that city is turning into a shithole?

11
Gardiner Schneider
Gardiner Schneider
11 months ago

If the druggies are killing themselves off at the rate of two per month, it would be tempting to think this problem could be self limiting; however, Governess Mills wants to import 75,000 illegal aliens, a few of whom just might take their welfare money and buy drugs.

7
SANDRA L CIEKLINSKI
SANDRA L CIEKLINSKI
11 months ago

Drug dealers arrested then bond out.. vicious cycle. Jail them for a while.

4
Sam Brady
Sam Brady
11 months ago

GOOD ! Excellent ….. Hope EVERY DOPE HEAD DIES !!!!!!!!!! It is time to stop pandering to people who engage in self destructive behavior ….Let the Gene Pool cleanse itself…..

1
fda insider
fda insider
11 months ago

these drugs from china change the chemical balance in the brain for life… causing an addiction that will never end… the long term relapse rate is 100%… our government hides these facts…..

2
Boxcar
Boxcar
11 months ago

What’s the next step from Portland City Council to HELP people addicted to…(fill in the blanks) FREE ALCHOL FOR ALCHOHOLICS. FREE CIGARETTES FOR SMOKERS. FREE POT FOR THE DOPE HEADS. FREE COKE FOR THE COKE HEADS, FREE PORN MAGAZINE FOR SEX ADDICTS. FREE TWINKIES AND SODA FOR THE MORBIDLY OBESE. etc. etc. Liberal Logic.

3
Axylos
Axylos
11 months ago

The free needles, warm places to shoot up and this is what you get!! The people of Portland and their leadership make rocks look smart.

2
sandy
sandy
11 months ago

We can thank the Democrats as they were InCharge of the boarder and fetial.
They just want to control the week mined as slaves and to keep them selves in power. Just look at the way run this state.

1
Mainah
Mainah
11 months ago

Have we not tried long enough. Let’s call it what is is, a failed experiment.

0
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