Maine has become the deadliest state in New England – and one of the most dangerous in the U.S. – for drug-overdose deaths.
The state’s OD rate now rivals the Appalachian states at the epicenter of the opioid epidemic.
The overdose rate surged nearly 82 percent in just three years, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The stats show Maine is the only northeast state – including even the biggies such as New York State – to crack the top ten worst nationwide.
The overdose and suicide rates push the Pine Tree State to eighth-worst mental-health ranking in the U.S.
Unlike most states that peaked in 2021, Maine’s overdose rate climbed to 54.3 per 100,000 people in 2022, an 81.6% surge from 2019, suggesting the crisis hit later and harder while other states were beginning to stabilize.
A study by Bader Law analyzing CDC data from 2019 to 2023 revealed Maine in the throes of a mental-health crisis.
Maine Overdose, Suicide Rates Fly Off The Chart During Democrat-controlled Government
By Ted Cohen
