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Grayson Lookner represents part of Portland in the Maine House of Representatives. In the 131st legislature, he sponsored LD 1364, which would have allowed municipalities to authorize overdose prevention centers. Before serving in the legislature, he worked with youth experiencing homelessness and mental illness.
Aug. 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Maine is still losing one to two of our neighbors every day to overdoses. Despite significant efforts and investments at both local and state levels, our response to the opioid crisis is falling short. We need to ask ourselves: Are we truly doing everything we can to save lives, or are we selectively choosing which life-saving measures we’re willing to implement?
Overdose prevention centers (OPC) are one of the most effective tools to reduce overdose deaths, and it’s time for Maine to implement them. These sites are medical facilities that provide a controlled environment where individuals struggling with addiction and substance use disorder can use under clinical supervision. The benefits are clear: drastically reduced deaths, increased entry into recovery, decreased public drug use, and less litter associated with drug paraphernalia.
The data speaks for itself. Over 35 years of research from countries around the world, and now from cities in the U.S., shows that OPCs not only save lives but also improve public health outcomes. These sites act as vital access points for other critical services, including primary healthcare, mental health counseling, and substance use disorder treatment.
Despite common misconceptions and stigma, overdose prevention centers do not increase drug use or crime. Instead, they reduce public disorder and syringe litter and save local governments money by cutting down on emergency response calls.
Consider this: not a single person has ever died in an OPC in other countries. Yet, here in Maine, people are dying every day while politicians agonize over whether authorizing these life-saving interventions will hurt their reelection chances. We’ve seen OPCs work in New York, Minnesota, and nearly 200 other locations worldwide. If we know they work, why aren’t we using them?
A year ago, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 1364 into law, mandating a study on the potential benefits of overdose prevention centers in Maine. This was a step forward, but the situation demands more urgency. We don’t need another year of study to tell us what we already know. These centers save lives. Every day that we delay implementing these sites, we are making a choice — a choice that costs lives.
Maine is grappling with a crisis that affects us all. Cities and towns are struggling with overdose deaths, public drug use, syringe waste, and increased transmission rates of infectious diseases. The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a cluster of new HIV diagnoses in Penobscot County, primarily among people with substance use disorder and other forms of severe mental Illness. This is a public health emergency that demands an immediate and comprehensive response.
By authorizing municipalities to have OPCs, Maine can take the next step in addressing this crisis. Overdose prevention centers are not just about harm reduction; they are about saving lives, supporting recovery, and improving the safety and well-being of our communities. The evidence is overwhelming, and the need is urgent.
The OPC study commission should convene and deliver a unanimous recommendation for the immediate authorization of OPCs in Maine. Waiting until February 2025 to report findings is unacceptable when lives are at stake. Maine cannot afford to sit on its hands any longer. We need to act now.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember those we’ve lost and to commit ourselves to action. Let’s honor those lives by taking the necessary steps to ensure we lose no more. It’s time for Maine to join the global community in recognizing that OPCs are a critical component of a comprehensive response to the opioid crisis.
If we fail to implement overdose prevention centers, we are sending a clear message that we are not willing to do everything in our power to save lives. But if we act — if we implement OPCs — we can send a different message: that we value every life, that we are committed to our communities, and that we will not stand by while our neighbors die needlessly. Let’s stop the hand-wringing and political equivocation. Maine needs overdose prevention centers now.
