Intervention Aroostook: 11.9.2021

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -Now we turn to the opioid crisis in the county community and efforts to reduce the number of overdoses. The Aroostook County Jail is launching a pilot program to give naloxone to every person leaving incarceration. Shawn Cunningham reports in this week’s Intervention Aroostook.

In just a few months, a New Year won’t be the only thing beginning. Also beginning is a new program and partnership between the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and AMHC to distribute life saving naloxone to individuals upon leaving the county jail. AMHC’s Erik Lamoreau explains how it will work...

Erik Lamoreau AMHC

“hopefully it will be easier on the officers all they have to do is provide them with a packet the packet will come with naloxone fentanyl testing strips recovery resources across the county to make sure that they all have something when they leave.”

Shawn Cunningham NO STANDUP

The program is made possible thanks to a $1 million federal grant to combat substance use disorder and prevent overdose deaths. AMHC just received the funding award. Lamoreau explains the problem of addiction in a jail setting...

“what happens is they do detox at some point whether they’re there 24 hours or ten days or two months which puts them at really high risk if they continue to use after they’re released so this is an advocating way of making sure they feel comfortable without having to ask them if they’re gonna use or not just to make then feel like they feel safe if they choose to use.”

And he says realistically overdoses are going to continue to happen...but this effort and plan should still help decrease the number of those incidents...

“it should lower individuals overdosing and the amount of calls that we should get should have some community advocation in the fact that people will get the naloxone ...so its very important in just saying hey if you don’t need it fine like its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

Shawn Cunningham, NS 8.

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