PARIS TOWN HALL, ME – As Maine continues to battle the opioid and heroin epidemic, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today convened a roundtable discussion at the Paris Town Hall that brought together family members of those who are struggling with addiction, who are in recovery, and who lost the fight against addiction to better understand the challenges they face in providing care and how policies and programs could better support them.

            “A lot of people are familiar with Maine’s opioid and heroin epidemic from what they’ve heard on the news or read in the paper. But the folks at today’s roundtable have lived it. They’re the mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, and partners who are courageously doing all they can to help their loved ones,” Senator King said. “They are on the frontline, fighting every day, and hearing their perspective was critical as we continue to work together to find ways to curb this terrible problem. We must come together as communities, as a state, and as a nation to better support families and today’s roundtable was a positive step in that direction.”

Today’s roundtable, which is the fourth in a series convened by Senator King, brought together family members, law enforcement officials including interim Paris Chief of Police Jeffrey Lange, and health care providers from the Oxford Hills region and River Valley to share their personal stories of how caring for a person struggling with addiction has impacted their own lives and to better understand how policies and program could be improved to better assist them and others in similar situations as they provide care for their loved ones. The discussion also focused on the distinct challenges that rural communities in Maine face in fighting the opioid and heroin epidemic.

The roundtable also follows Senator King’s recent introduction of legislation – the Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion (Medicaid CARE) Act – which would modify an outdated Medicaid policy to allow more people to seek the vital substance abuse treatment they need, including at St. Francis Recovery Center at Catholic Charities in Auburn. Senator King also intends to introduce in the coming weeks legislation that would establish a national drug mail-back program that would provide consumers, particularly those in rural areas, with a more convenient way to safely dispose of their unused prescription medications.

Meanwhile, the Senate last month passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), cosponsored by Senator King, would provide a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to help Americans combat the heroin and opioid epidemic devastating communities in Maine and across the country. Senator King applauded the legislation as a good first step, but emphasized that more still must be done.

According to the Maine Attorney General, 272 people in the state died of overdoses in 2015, representing a 31 percent increase from 2014 – the worst year on record. Senator King has made tackling the opioid and heroin epidemic one of his top priorities in the Senate. He has held three roundtables – one in Portland, one in Brewer, and one in Bangor – focusing on different aspects of the problem. He has also introduced several pieces of legislation to address it, has questioned top Administration officials about efforts to fight it, and called on the President to pledge more funding towards it, which the President did.

Photo 1: Senator King listens to family members of those affected by addiction at Paris Town Hall opioid roundtable.

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