Despite tough drug laws, Maine continues to battle drug dependency and abuse rates above the national average. This is in part due to Maine’s location squarely astride the New England Pipeline for drugs smuggled out of Canada. Marijuana is grown locally as well, contributing to the state’s high rate of use, especially among young people. Almost 50% of Maine’s high school seniors admitted to using marijuana in their lifetime in a September 2008 report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. An alarming 9% of 6^th-graders reported using inhalants.

The problem is not confined to people under 25, of course. Well over 15,000 people sought help through one of Maine’s 191 drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in 2007. An alarming trend was noted by Maine rehab facilities, in that while admissions for alcohol and marijuana declined, admissions for cocaine and heroin both went up. Since marijuana has long been held to be a gateway drug for both addictions, the tendency among Maine teenagers to experiment with “pot” is troubling. Many Maine families who thought themselves immune to the possibility of someday requiring the services of a drug and alcohol rehab facility may find themselves attempting to evaluate those 191 Maine treatment centers and combing through programs attempting to find one suited to their problem.

In Maine, drug and alcohol treatment centers are nearly evenly split between private nonprofit and private for-profit facilities. Most offer some form of outpatient treatment; 27 offer residential care. A significantly lower percentage than in most states receive public funding, either local, state, or federal (37%), while just over half contract their services to hospitals and other managed care organizations. Families therefore have many choices when attempting to chose rehab facilities in Maine, but should be aware that even those which receive public funds are not identical in the types and levels of services offered. Only 7 facilities offered opioid treatment, and just 71 physicians were licensed as of 2006 to administer buprenorphine for opiate addiction. Drug and alcohol treatment programs in Maine or anywhere else should be carefully evaluated as to their services, staffing, and experience with a particular addiction.

While marijuana and cocaine are the primary threats in Maine, binge drinking and alcohol abuse should not be discounted, and meth, formerly almost unknown in the Pine Tree State, is beginning to show its ugly head. Ecstasy and other club drugs are increasingly showing up at teen parties, so parents should make themselves aware of the signs and symptoms of drug abuse and seek treatment as early as possible. Modern drugs are highly addictive; families should ensure that the local Maine drug treatment program or rehab center has the facilities and experience to deal with them. Additionally, per the chart below, teens are experimenting with a variety of substances their parents may never even have heard of. Staying up to date on possible dangers is a necessity of modern life, even in Maine.