MaineHealth has received a $1.2 million federal grant for a statewide overdose and infection prevention program focused on harm reduction among syringe users.
The program is a collaboration between MaineHealth and several community organizations, including public health agencies, syringe service programs, academic institutions and other treatment providers.
It will provide clients of syringe service programs in Maine’s rural counties with harm reduction supplies, treatment for infectious diseases and wound care. The program will focus on underserved populations, including those at high risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis, providing increased blood screenings and information about pre-exposure prophylaxis medications that can prevent HIV.
Harm reduction outreach specialists will dispense fentanyl test strips and wound care kits, as well as naloxone to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. They also will partner with Colby College to use spectrometry-based drug checking to help identify how much fentanyl and other contaminants are present in drugs circulating in Maine.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less