Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

The BRFSS is a national survey administered on an ongoing basis by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to adults in all 50 states, several districts, and territories. The instrument collects data on adult risk behaviors, including alcohol and drug use. Most recent 2019 data was only available for some indicators. Thus, there are several instances where 2017–18 estimates are still displayed. Due to methodological changes in weighting and sampling, data prior to 2011 cannot be trended with more current data. In some instances, due to smaller sample sizes, multiple years of data are combined in efforts to produce more reliable estimates. Contact: Melissa Damren, Maine BRFSS Coordinator; melissa.damren@maine.gov; (207) 287-1420.

Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations (BABLO)

BABLO regulates the alcohol industry to include pricing, listing, and delisting of spirits and issuing all liquor licenses throughout Maine. Additionally, they are charged with the enforcement of Maine Liquor laws codified in Title 28-A of Maine law. They also manage the Maine State Lottery. Contact: Laurence Sanborn, Manager of Licensing and Enforcement; Laurence.D.Sanborn@maine.gov (207) 624-7227.

Maine Department of Public Safety (DPS), Bureau of Highway Safety (BHS), ME Department of Transportation (MDOT)

The Bureau of Highway Safety is responsible for tracking all fatalities that occur on Maine’s highways and reporting this information through the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The data represented provide information on highway crashes and fatalities. Much of this information is gathered from the FARS system, which records data on fatal crashes in Maine for input into a larger national record-keeping system of statistical data. FARS data are also used by BHS and the Maine State Police to analyze enforcement priorities and schedules. Impaired driving is one of the most serious traffic risks facing the nation, killing thousands every year. Contact: For FARS data/fatal crashes, contact Lauren Stewart, Highway Safety Director; lauren.v.stewart@maine.gov; (207) 626-3841. For all other crash data, contact the Maine DOT; (207) 624-3000.

Maine Department of Public Safety (DPS), Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

UCR data include drug and alcohol arrests. Drug arrests include sale and manufacturing as well as possession of illegal substances. Liquor arrests include all liquor law violations. OUI arrests are arrests for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance. DPS data are now available from 2019. Arrest data may reflect differences in resources or focus of law enforcement efforts, so may not be directly comparable from year to year. Available at: http://www.maine.gov/dps/cim/crime_in_maine/cim.htm.

For UCR statistical purposes, “arrests” also include those persons cited or summonsed for criminal acts in lieu of actual physical custody. These forms categorize the arrests by offense classification (both Part I and Part II crimes), and by age, sex, and race. The same individual may be arrested several times over a period of time; each separate arrest is counted. A person may be arrested on several charges at one time; only one arrest is counted and is listed under the most serious charge. For UCR purposes, a juvenile is counted as “arrested” when the circumstances are such that if they were an adult, an arrest would result; in fact, there may not have been a formal charge.

Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA)

The MDEA through its regional multi-jurisdictional task forces is the lead state agency in confronting drug trafficking crime. The data included in this report represents those arrested for a drug offense but does not indicate what other drug(s) may have been seized. For example, a person may be arrested for the sale of cocaine but also be in possession of oxycodone and marijuana. It is important to note that arrests and multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement are resource-dependent; such funds fluctuate from year to year, and must be reallocated to combat highest priority threats. Contact: Roy E. McKinney, Director; roy.e.mckinney@maine.gov; (207) 626-3852.

Maine Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Maine EMS is a bureau within the Maine Department of Public Safety (DPS) and is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state activities concerning Emergency Medical Services and the overall planning, evaluation, coordination, facilitation, and regulation of EMS systems. EMS collects data statewide from the 272 licensed ambulance and non-transporting services. It is mandated that services submit an electronic patient care report to Maine EMS within one business day of patient contact. Data are compiled upon request. Beginning in March of 2017, Maine EMS began a transition from the NEMSIS version two data set to the NEMSIS version three data set. Among other things, this transition afforded Maine EMS clinicians the ability to document a broader range of diagnoses, as seen with the alcohol-related data. Contact: Darren Davis, Maine Emergency Medical Services; Darren.W.Davis@maine.gov; (207) 626-3860

Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS)

The MIYHS is a statewide survey administered biennially since 2009 through a collaborative partnership between Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Maine Department of Education. Its purpose is to quantify health-related behaviors and attitudes of 5th through 12th graders by direct student survey. The survey collects information on student substance use, risk factors related to substance use, as well as consequences, perceptions and social risk factors related to substances, and information on many other health factors. MIYHS defines binge-drinking as consuming five or more drinks in a row. As of the date of this report, the most recent data available are from 2019. Contact: Korey Pow, Center for Disease Control and Prevention; korey.pow@maine.gov; (207) 287-5084.

Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)

The Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigates all deaths associated with drug overdose. Analysis of these cases is currently funded by the Office of Attorney General. The death data are reported on a quarterly and an annual basis after cases are finalized; they are released through the Attorney General’s Office. Drug categories reported to SEOW include methadone, cocaine, benzodiazepines, oxycodone, fentanyl, and heroin/morphine. Contact: Dr. Marcella Sorg, Director, Rural Drug & Alcohol Research Program, Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, University of Maine; mhsorg@maine.edu.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

The NSDUH is a national survey administered annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to youth grades 6 through 12 and adults ages 18 and older. The instrument collects information on substance use and health at the national, regional, and state levels. The advantage of NSDUH is that it allows comparisons to be made across the lifespan (that is, ages 12 and up). However, NSDUH is not as current as other data sources; as of this report, data at the state level are available from 2018–19.

Older data are included for trending and comparative purposes. In 2016, several changes were made to the NSDUH questionnaire and data collection procedures, resulting in the establishment of a new baseline for many measures. Therefore, estimates for several measures included in prior reports are not available. For details, see Section A of SAMHSA’s “2015–2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Guide to State Tables and Summary of Small Area Estimation Methodology” at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHsaeMethodology2016/NSDUHsaeMethodology2016.htm.

NSDUH defines “Illicit Drugs” as marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used non-medically; “Binge Alcohol Use” as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least one day in the past 30 days; “Dependence” or “Abuse” based on definitions found in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V); and “Serious Mental Illness” (SMI) as a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that met the criteria found in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and resulted in functional impairment that substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities. Available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29395/2019NSDUHMethodsSummDefs/2019NSDUHMethodsSummDefs082120.pdf.

Northern New England Poison Center (NNEPC)

The Northern New England Poison Center provides services to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. A poisoning case represents a single individual’s contact with a potentially toxic substance. Intentional poisoning includes those related to substance use, suicide, and misuse. Data include the number of confirmed cases where exposures are judged to be substance use-related (i.e., an individual’s attempt to get high). NNEPC collects detailed data on specific substances involved in poisonings, including the categories of stimulants/street drugs, alcohol, opioids, asthma/cold and cough medications, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and pharmaceuticals, as well as other substances. The category of stimulants/street drugs includes marijuana and other cannabis, amphetamine and amphetamine-like substances, cocaine (including salt and crack), amphetamine/ dextroamphetamine, caffeine tablets/capsules, ecstasy, methamphetamine, GHB, and other/ unknown stimulants/street drugs. The category alcohol includes alcohol-containing products such as mouthwash. The opioid category includes Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, buprenorphine, methadone, tramadol, morphine, propoxyphene, codeine, hydromorphone, stomach opioids, Meperidine (Demerol), heroin, Fentanyl, and other/unknown opioids. Data available from the poison center are reported on a continual daily basis and are included through December 2020. These data are only reflective of cases in which the Poison Center was contacted. Contact: Colin Smith, Northern New England Poison Center; SMITHC12@mmc.org; (207) 662-7085.

Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS), Maine Automated Child Welfare Information System (MACWIS)

The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) assists Maine’s children and families by providing Child Welfare, Children’s Behavioral Health, Early Childhood, and Preventive services and supports. The Maine Child Welfare Information System (MACWIS) is the single electronic repository for Maine child welfare information and aids in the recording, tracking, and processing of all child welfare duties and functions. Contact: Lori Geiger, Information Service Manager; lori.geiger@maine.gov; (207) 624-7911.

Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics (DRVS)

DRVS is a program within the Maine CDC. The death certificates are the source documents for the data on the vital events in Maine. The data include Maine resident deaths in which the death certificate included any mention that alcohol or drug use may have had a role. Data include unintentional, self-inflicted, assault and undetermined intent deaths. Contact: Data, Research and Vital Statistics; (207) 287-5468.

Parent Survey

In 2006, the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS) commissioned Pan Atlantic Research, a Maine-based marketing research and consulting firm, to conduct baseline quantitative market research with parents of teenagers throughout the state on a range of issues related to underage drinking. The 2006 research was a component of a broader project being conducted in preparation for a social marketing campaign aimed at parents, the objective of which was to reduce teenage drinking in the State of Maine through improved parenting techniques and enhanced parental involvement. Pan Atlantic Research has subsequently conducted benchmarking research on this project for SAMHS and the Maine Center for Disease and Control in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and most recently in 2019. In 2008, many changes were made to better align with/reflect existing surveys and the state’s public health service infrastructure. These include research designed to be more directly comparable to the 2009 (and future) Maine Integrated Youth Health Surveys (MIYHS), the sample being stratified on a statewide basis according to Maine’s eight Public Health Districts (150 completed surveys per PHD), and the sample composition including parents of 7th to 12th graders (200 per grade, for 1,200 total). The survey was redesigned in 2019 to increase its emphasis on questions relating to teenage use of marijuana and prescription drugs. Contact: Jason Edes, Director of Research, Pan Atlantic Research; jedes@panatlanticresearch.com; (207) 221-8877 ext. 100.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

PRAMS is an ongoing, population-based surveillance system designed to identify and monitor selected maternal behaviors and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy among women who have recently given birth to a live infant. Data are collected monthly from women using a mail/telephone survey. Contact: Virginia Buchanan, PRAMS Coordinator, Maine CDC; Virginia.Buchanon@maine.gov; (207) 287-5469.

Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)

PMP maintains a database of all transactions for class C–II through C–IV drugs dispensed in the state of Maine. Drug categories used in this report include opiates, sedatives, and stimulants. The counts included in this report represent the number of prescriptions and doses dispensed between 2019 and 2020. Contact: Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services; PMP@maine.gov; (207) 287-2595.

Syndromic Surveillance System

Maine’s hospital syndromic surveillance system collects information from hospital emergency departments and, in some cases, their affiliated urgent care centers. Maine CDC has 33 hospital emergency departments participating in syndromic surveillance reporting approximately 2,000 ED visits per day (depending on the time of year and other factors that affect patient traffic). Maine CDC is constantly working to improve the system, so data are subject to change as additional facilities/data fields/facility types are added. ED visits are based on patient residence. The Maine Syndromic Dashboard can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/syndromic/index.shtml. Contact: Maine CDC; syndromic@maine.gov.

Web Infrastructure for Treatment Services (WITS)

WITS does not capture data from all treatment facilities or services provided in Maine and therefore is not a complete representation of ALL substance use treatment services provided in Maine. WITS is the State system that all licensed substance use treatment agencies are required by licensing rule to submit all substance use treatment services rendered into. However, there are many organizations and private practitioners, such as primary care practitioners and independent substance use licensed counselors, who are not mandated to enter data into the system. Analyses in this report are based on client-reported primary, secondary and tertiary drug(s) of choice, as well as other demographic and background information that is collected at intake. Drug categories included in this report are alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, synthetic opiates, methadone/buprenorphine, and benzodiazepines. The most recent WITS data is from 2018. Contact: Office of Behavioral Health; TDS.Helpdesk@maine.gov; (207) 287-2595.

2-1-1 Maine

2-1-1 Maine is a free, confidential resource for individuals to connect to thousands of health and human services in Maine. 2-1-1 Maine maintains a statewide directory of resources including services for substance use, mental health, gambling addiction, housing, childcare and more. Individuals can contact 2-1-1 Maine and access needed information and referrals by calling 2-1-1 and speaking with a trained specialist in Maine, by texting their ZIP code to 898-211 and communicating with a Maine-based specialist, or by visiting www.211maine.org. 2-1-1 Maine’s Contact Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. 2-1-1 Maine is a collaborative effort of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the United Ways of Maine, and The Opportunity Alliance as the Contact Center partner. Contact: info@211maine.org; call 2-1-1 or 1-866-811-5695; text your ZIP code to 898-211.