There was a record number of overdoses in Portland last year, according to police, but health officials are calling this a win.
Overdose deaths in the city are significantly down.
Portland police reported a record 550 overdoses in 2024, marking the worst year for overdoses in the city. Yet, deaths fell to 21 in 2024, less than half of the 47 reported in 2023.
Many in the community are cautiously optimistic about the progress, including Tom Doherty, executive director of Milestone Recovery.
“It’s wonderful information and great news,” Doherty said. “We still lose people, which is devastating. But to know that we’re making progress is a tremendous uplift for the staff.”
What’s behind the decline in deaths?
Doherty attributes much of the progress to the availability of Naloxone, a life-saving overdose reversal medication.
“When Gov. [Janet] Mills first came in, one of the very first things that she did was make Naloxone available across the board,” Doherty said.
Bridget Rauscher, Portland’s public health director, believes the widespread distribution of naloxone, the overdose reversal medicine in Narcan, is saving lives.
“Twenty-one lives is still too many, honestly, but it shows a huge improvement, and it shows us that what we’ve been doing is working,” Rauscher said.
And that may not even tell the whole picture, given that many overdose reversals that happen in the community might not get a 911 call if the person survives.
“We’re almost at a point of saturation in the community with Naloxone,” Rauscher said. “It’s very widely available. We distribute thousands and thousands of doses from our office.”
Rauscher noted that while police are using Narcan less frequently, the community is stepping up.
Good Samaritan law and changing perceptions
Another factor in fewer deaths, some think, is a shift in attitudes toward seeking help during an overdose emergency.
“The good Samaritan law allows people who are using, and maybe don’t have naloxone with them, to call for help without the risk of repercussions, repercussions of a police officer finding a bag of contraband,” Doherty said.
A constant battle against dangerous drugs
Despite the progress, challenges remain.
“The drug mix is always changing,” Doherty said. “I know we’re seeing more xylazine.”
Xylazine is a dangerous drug first detected in Maine in 2021. Xylazine, often mixed with other substances, creates sores all over the body and is resistant to naloxone.
A community effort
While there is hope in the numbers, the fight for recovery remains the same into the future.
“They’re our neighbors,” Doherty said. “We need to get them going again and give them every opportunity to enter recovery. Because they’re valuable people.”
About 70 percent of Milestone Recovery’s staff have experienced significant struggles with substance use themselves, showcasing the possibility of recovery and renewal.
“People can come back. It’s not a death sentence,” Doherty said.
