Though often thought to be a big city problem, substance use disorder can’t read a map. It can be especially hard to combat in rural communities because of limited resources for prevention, treatment and recovery.
This is the case in Washington County, with two notable...
An Unintentional Director of Opioid Response
Gordon Smith, J.D., who became the state’s Director of Opioid Response when Gov. Janet Mills took office in 2019, knows he has a somewhat unusual background for the position.
“I am not in recovery, not in...
Like stock brokerage firm E.F. Hutton, when Kennebunk Police Chief Bob MacKenzie speaks, people listen. That’s a reputation he’s earned by building trust and respect over a 34-year law enforcement career.
In his field, those virtues are required for interactions to go well, but he...
Through his nonprofit, Silas Hagerty is giving young people the opportunity to learn from one another, discover new possibilities and use their creativity to explore positive change.
Silas is a filmmaker and founder of Smooth Feather Youth in Porter, Maine. One of the organization’s programs...
As We Are: A Transformative Demonstration of Empathy
The screening of a short film by a small student production team last fall at a small, transformed theater in the small Maine town of Porter showed huge power to touch and transform its audience.
“I...
One fatal overdose is one too many.
This is why it is so important to know your OPTIONS if you or someone you care for uses drugs. The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) is a statewide initiative to improve the health...
