Usually when we underestimate an opponent there is a price to be paid.

In the local section of the April 25 Central Maine Sunday was an article on Maine’s death rate for 2020, “Driven by COVID-19, Maine’s death rate rises by 4.5% in 2020.” Listed were the leading causes: cancer, heart disease and accidents. Included in the accident total were 502 opiate-related deaths. Putting them under any category other than addiction negates the truth, and underestimates the overall seriousness of the “other” pandemic: addiction. It also undermines the focus of addiction as a medical disease.

When we look at the “big picture” of addiction’s impact on Mainers, it turns out that the disease is in fact the leading cause of death. By taking into account the number of Mainers who die from nicotine, alcohol and other substances along with the opiates, that total, unfortunately, passes cancer, heart disease and all others.

Underestimating the actual figures distorts the huge impact on all of us in Maine that addiction has — and we all pay the price.

It’s time to get real and portray addiction as Maine’s No. 1 pandemic. It’s time for addiction treatment centers or individual counselors to treat the whole disease; over 90% of them don’t address the nicotine issue. Half measures avail us nothing.

Everyone dealing with what is truly Maine’s primary pandemic deserves the best treatment of the whole disease.

Bob Creamer

Hallowell