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Opioids

What are Opioids?

Opioids are medications prescribed by doctors to treat pain. Opioids are prescribed to relieve pain from conditions such as dental procedures, injuries, surgeries, cancer.

Prescription opioids are strong medications, which include:

  • Oxycodone
  • Morphine
  • Oxymorphone
  • Codeine
  • Methadone
  • Tramadol
  • Fentanyl
  • Buprenorphine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Illicit fentanyl is different than prescription fentanyl. Illicit fentanyl is often stronger, not regulated, and is the version most often involved in overdose emergencies.

Warning Signs of Opioid Misuse

Knowing how to spot the warning signs of opioid misuse could save a life. One or multiple of these signs does not mean a person is misusing medications; however, these are important warning signs to know about: Potential warning signs, include.

  • Physical Warning Signs (changes in)
  • Breathing patterns
  • Alertness
  • Heart rate
  • Emotional Warning Signs (changes in)
  • Motivation
  • Emotional response
  • Mood
  • Social Warning Signs (changes in)
  • Social involvement
  • Employment/job status
  • Relationships/friends

Visit Eyes Open for ME for more warning signs of opioid misuse.

Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Opioid Misuse

  • Make sure you get the right medicine. Tell your health care provider about all the medications you take (prescription and over-the-counter).
  • Ask what all the options are for pain management.
  • Follow directions carefully and read the labels. Don't stop or change the dose of your medication on your own. If it doesn't seem to be working talk to your health care provider.
  • Know the side effects so you know what to expect and what you should avoid when taking the medication.
  • Avoid taking opioids with alcohol, other substances, or medications -- unless approved by your doctor.
  • Never share medications. Everyone is different and even if you have a similar medical condition, it may not be the right medication or dose for someone else.
  • Safe storage is a big part of preventing medication misuse. Keeping your medications secured and out of reach takes very little time and keeps children, pets, family, and visitors safe.
  • Lock all prescriptions in a cabinet, safe, or private drawer.
  • Keep your medications stored up and out of reach of children or pets.
  • Store your medications in their original containers.
  • Safe disposal of medications is important for unwanted, unused, or expired medications.
  • Drop unused medications off at one of the many drug take back locations across Maine.
  • Visit Eyes Open for ME Medication Misuse for more steps you and your family can take to reduce your risk of opioid misuse.

What is an Opioid Overdose?

An opioid overdose occurs when a person has a toxic amount of an opioid in their system. An opioid overdose can cause a person's breathing to slow and potentially stop altogether. Risk factors for an opioid overdose include:

  • Taking high doses of opioids on a daily basis
  • Taking more opioids than prescribed
  • Taking illegal opioids such as heroin
  • A previous opioid overdose
  • Reduced tolerance
  • Mixing opioids with other substances such as alcohol, stimulants
  • Taking a sedative with an opioid
  • Being at risk for respiratory distress due to sleep apnea, asthma, or emphysema
  • Being over the age of 65

What are the signs of an opioid overdose?

  • Face is extremely pale and/or feels clammy to the touch
  • Body is limp
  • Fingernails or lips are purple/blue
  • Vomiting or making gurgling sounds
  • Can't be awaken
  • Unable to speak
  • Breathing may sound altered
  • Pinpoint pupils

Step-by-Step Opioid Overdose Response

  1. Check for signs of responsiveness.
  2. Call 911.
  3. Administer naloxone and get an AED if one is available.
  4. Help the person breathe.
  5. Monitor the person's response.

For more on how to respond to an overdose visit: Know Your OPTIONS Respond to Overdose

Maine's Good Samaritan Law

Maine's Good Samaritan Law prevents a person from being arrested or prosecuted for certain violations if the grounds for that arrest or prosecution result from the person experiencing an overdose or seeking medical assistance for someone else who is.

For more on Maine's Good Samaritan Law visit: Know Your OPTIONS

Find Treatment

  • 211 Maine: Call, text, or visit 211 online. 211 is a free, confidential service that connects people of all ages across Maine to local services. 211 Maine is staffed by trained specialists and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Treatment Connections: Are you seeking substance use or mental health treatment? Search for treatment facilities near you and filter the results based on your specific needs.
  • Know Your OPTIONs: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers with substance use disorder. OPTIONS supports treatment, harm reduction, and recovery, and aims to reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal drug related overdoses.

Resources and Outreach Materials

Free print materials and digital downloads designed to improve health and help prevent commercial tobacco use, substance use, and suicide in Maine.

Current Campaigns

  • Eyes Open for ME- This campaign has information for Mainers on opioid misuse. It includes the warning signs how to safely store and dispose of prescriptions, and how to connect you or a loved one to resources.
  • Safe Sleep Maine Educates Mainers on the risk of alcohol or other substance use during pregnancy and infant care.
  • Talk They Hear You Focuses on strategies and tips for caregivers to start having conversations about substance use with children and adolescents.
  • Know Your OPTIONs Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach, Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) is an effort to improve the health of Mainers using substances through improving access to harm reduction strategies; linking individuals to treatment and other social services; reducing stigma associated with substance use; and reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses.
  • MaineMOM MaineMOM improves care for pregnant and postpartum Mainers with opioid use disorder and aims to protect infants by integrating maternal and substance use treatment services.
  • Get Maine Naloxone Educates Mainers on how to access and administer naloxone.
  • Information about Opioid Misuse in Maine
  • Maine Drug Data Hub: A collaboration between state departments, the Governor's Office, and the University of Maine to provide resources, data, and visuals to inform Mainers about overdoses and harm reduction strategies.
  • Maine Opioid Response Plan (PDF)focuses on reducing negative health and economic impacts of substance use in Maine.
  • Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey is a biennial survey conducted by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education. The survey monitors health behaviors and attitudes about tobacco, alcohol, substance use, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, adverse childhood experiences, and protective factors.