The personal and economic costs associated with drug and alcohol abuse are staggering. In 2010, the total estimated cost of substance abuse in Maine — including corrections, law enforcement, long-term health effects and premature death — was more than $1.4 billion, translating to $1,057 for every Maine resident. Maine’s youngest are not spared. The state […]
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Proof is in the patient’s heart
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusMichelle Markie is a sexual assault forensic examiner and registered nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor. She is one of two certified SAFE nurses at the hospital, a certification requiring a 40-hour class, hours of observation, ongoing education and practice administering rape kits. A rape kit, officially known as a Maine State Sex Crimes […]
Encouraging change of mind on drug testing welfare recipients
Drug Abuse Maine FocusEditorials by design, are meant to encourage change. This particular one regarding a welfare drug-test bill, LD 678, was no different. The bill ultimately failed, but not before the BDN’s editorial department took a stab persuading lawmakers to give it a thumbs down. We felt Maine lawmakers needed to stop creating bills that would require […]
30 days, 30 columns about sexual violence as part of “Shed Light” project
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusFor Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2013, the BDN published an OpEd or column every day relating to sexual assault. We heard about healthy sexuality, street harassment, the challenge of addressing sexual violence in rural areas, the long-lasting effects of child abuse, and the isolation that male victims experience. Below are many of the […]