The Acadia Hospital takes seriously its responsibility to treat and advocate for those individuals in our communities with mental illness or substance abuse problems. We believe our role is to provide information and it is in that spirit that we now initiate this information on opiate addiction. Our communities, parents and teens need the facts Acadia can provide.

We believe opiate addiction in a community can be addressed best through the joint resources of law enforcement, educators, parents, counselors, social service agencies, municipalities, and the medical community.

First, let's address the problem.

Fact: The term "opiate" refers to heroin, and synthetic opiates which are legally prescribed for pain management, but are being used illegally by many individuals. The past year has seen a sharp rise in the number of people addicted to opiates in Penobscot County.

Fact: Makers of heroin and other illegal opiates are now able to manufacture a purer product, increasing its addictive properties. In addition, this purer form does not need to be injected, but sniffed or smoked, eliminating the barrier of needle use among potential early abusers. Our experience, reinforced by the experience of regional and local law enforcement officials, is that this purer form of opiate is readily available in our region.

Fact: Acadia Hospital is seeing a marked increase in the number of adolescents it treats for opiate addiction in its FOCUS program, and nationally use among eighth graders is as prevalent as it is among high school seniors.

Fact: Individuals living with opiate addiction are best cared for through a comprehensive plan including individual and group counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and family therapy, in conjunction with a medical treatment which may include methadone.