Maine has the ninth-highest rate of fatal drug overdoses in the U.S. – and is the only New England state in the top-ten worst, a new analysis shows.
The state showed an average of 42.56 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, the latest year on record – 35 percent higher than the national average of 31.51 per 100,000.
Over the 12 months, the state saw 514 deaths from opioid abuse alone.
Though Maine is seeing some decrease in fatal drug overdoses since the last full year on record, numbers remain historically high, according to the National Survey on Drug Use.
The Maine Drug Data Hub shows fentanyl continues as a primary driver of overdose deaths.
Nationally, West Virginia ranks highest in overdoses, 77.80 per 100,000 residents.
Tennessee is second with 50.03, while Delaware is third at 49.91.
In addition to those top three worst, Maine is outranked by only Louisiana, New Mexico, Kentucky and Washington state in drug deaths.
