Soucier speaks with BDN about growing number of overdoses in Bangor
Daniel Soucier, a research associate at the University of Maine Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, spoke with the Bangor Daily News about the growing number of overdoses happening in Bangor in recent years. Soucier, who collects data about Maine’s opioid crisis, said trends involving the international drug supply and social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the uptick. “Folks who were in recovery or in stable drug use patterns began using chaotically,” Soucier said. “Also, the drug supply was interrupted and folks sometimes bought from dealers they did not know, making the supply unknown and less safe.” The article also used data about overdoses in Penobscot County from the Maine Drug Data Hub, a tool created through a partnership between the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the Office of the Attorney General, the University of Maine and several state agencies.