Legacy of Pain
How Maine’s opioid crisis devastated families and created a generation of lost children
Lewiston Sun Journal, April 2022
Produced in partnership with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism through its 2021 Data Fellowship program.
PART I
April 10, 2022
At the root of an epidemic, a prescription pad
Twenty years after Purdue Pharma introduced its pain medication, OxyContin, Maine lawmakers passed a bill that significantly stemmed the flow of pain pills into the state. A Sun Journal investigation found the new restrictions may have been too little, too late: A generation of Mainers were already grappling with substance use disorder and a growing illicit drug trade was ready to meet the demand. Continue reading ↗
‘Lucky to be alive right now’: Rumford man credits doctors, awareness, luck for avoiding addiction
Like many patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain, Todd Papianou, a high school teacher from Rumford, knows the thin line between life-saving and life-destroying medication. Continue reading ↗
PART II
April 17, 2022
As state tightened opioid access, illegal drug trade created a deadly new era in Maine’s opioid crisis
Maine lawmakers and health officials realized easy access to prescription opioids was creating dependency issues and clamped down, but did not anticipate how well the illegal drug market would fill the void. Continue reading ↗
A work injury and a prescription. One Maine woman’s story of the cycle of addiction
Nikole Powell’s father developed an opioid use disorder after a work injury, a dependence that traumatized his family and eventually led to his incarceration and death. His daughter is trying to break the cycle. Continue reading ↗
PART III
April 24, 2022
The opioid epidemic is putting immense pressure on Maine’s child welfare and education systems
In half of all cases in Maine in which a child is removed from the home, an Office of Child and Family Services investigation identified the parent or caregiver's substance use a risk factor. Continue reading ↗
‘What we’re really dealing with is a trauma epidemic’: Multiple resources needed to address opioid crisis
Recovery advocates want to see a move toward trauma-informed recovery and state officials and lawmakers are looking at how the child welfare system is uniquely positioned to help. Continue reading ↗