by Ruth Leubecker

As the opioid crisis has escalated in Maine, multiple factors have caused a shift in its intensity and the complexion of recovery. Washington County, a microcosm of this festering disaster, continues to cope with the situation.

The presence and availability of a cheap and potent fentanyl is driving overdose deaths. Last week, nationally the CDC announced that 64 percent of the country’s opioid deaths are linked to synthetic opioids, like fentanyl — resulting in a record high during the pandemic.