Officials in Portland, Maine, expect a large turnout at a public summit about opiate use that is scheduled to take place at Ocean Gateway.
The city and the Maine Opiate Collaborative are sponsoring the event at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Maine State Pier. The meeting will include a panel of professionals and experts from law enforcement, treatment and recovery backgrounds.
City officials say ideas generated at the forum will help inform recommendations the Maine Opiate Collaborative Task Force will make to address the problem of opiate abuse.
Maine saw a 31 percent increase in drug overdose deaths last year. Public health authorities and state leaders say addiction to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids is a growing problem in the state.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
