Limestone town manager Alan Mulherin recently took training on how to administer Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, which the town office can now distribute to residents.(Courtesy of Alan Mulherin)
LIMESTONE, Maine – A small Aroostook town is making sure its residents have free access to opioid overdose reversal medication.
In late October, Limestone’s town office received 13 free boxes of naloxone, better known by its brand name Narcan, becoming one of only a few Maine municipalities to join the statewide Maine Naloxone Distribution Initiative.
Limestone’s status as a community distribution center comes as Aroostook leaders look for innovative ways to get the medication in more physical locations, such as in vending machines or cabinets at area businesses. Small municipalities are in a unique position, as they already see residents daily and often hear stories of community members who are struggling, said Limestone’s interim town manager Alan Mulherin.
“It’s our responsibility to serve people and to have what is needed to provide services in the event of overdoses,” Mulherin said.
Though Maine and The County have seen numbers decline since last year, the opioid epidemic continues to devastate lives. According to the latest report from the Maine Drug Data Hub, there have been 6,324 nonfatal and 372 fatal overdoses statewide so far in 2024, compared with 9,274 nonfatal and 606 fatal in all of 2023. Aroostook has seen 409 nonfatal and 29 fatal overdoses this year, whereas in 2023 there were 485 nonfatal and 40 fatal.
Town-specific overdose data is not available, but Mulherin said that he and others have heard people’s stories of substance use disorder, prompting Mulherin, who is also Limestone’s local health officer, to take action.
Mulherin applied to receive Narcan for the town office through Bangor Public Health and Community Services, which covers Narcan distribution services for Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Washington and Piscataquis counties. Limestone’s town office now keeps Narcan in a private safe for residents to access if they request a dosage.
Bangor Public Health is one of three public health districts in the state who work with the Maine Naloxone Distribution Initiative, including Maine General (Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo counties) and Portland Public Health (Cumberland and York counties).
Limestone is the first municipality from within a public health district to become what is called a “Tier 2” Narcan distributor: any community organization, nonprofit or municipality who receives the medication and related training from the three “Tier 1” public health districts.
Though many Tier 2 and other Narcan programs are part of recovery-based organizations or other community-focused spaces, anyone can work with their public health district to increase Narcan access, said Denise Smith, public health educator with Bangor Public Health.
Other more unique distribution spots include Auburn’s city hall and public library and the Community Credit Union in Lewiston, according to a Narcan database on Maine Drug Data Hub. Limestone is not yet listed on the database, as they just started as a Tier 2 distributor.
No one requesting a dosage of Narcan is required to submit medical paperwork or other proof of their substance use disorder. That way, there are no unnecessary barriers to people receiving Narcan if they or someone they know truly needs it, Smith said.
“We want people to feel safe asking so that we get Narcan into as many hands as possible and save lives,” Smith said.
So far, no one has requested Narcan at the town office, Mulherin said. Limestone’s supply contains two doses in each of the 13 boxes, which are only available to Limestone residents.
