Dear Editor:

It speaks highly of the people of the Boothbay region to see the efforts of the community in taking action to address the opioid epidemic at the local level. Information about what faces those involved is key to addressing the complex issues of this epidemic. The May 15th edition of Bloomberg Businessweek magazine has an article, “The Heroin Business Is Booming in America,” by Jeanna Smialek, which lays out in detail just how serious the opioid epidemic is and what it is evolving into. I would recommend to anyone involved with addressing the opioid epidemic to read this article.

The purpose of this letter is to raise awareness to the growing risk of harm to our first responders in the process of doing their jobs from exposure to these drugs. Ms. Smialek in her article writes the following: “Cartels have begun experimenting with even more powerful synthetics. Among them are the elephant tranquilizer carefentanil, dubbed “rhino” on the street, and another powerful synthetic sometimes flown in from Hong Kong known as “pink.” Merely touching either can cause someone without an opioid tolerance to overdose as it leaches through the skin.”

These specific drugs or drugs like them may not yet be in Maine, but it should be presumed they will arrive here in the future. Law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and firefighters are at risk of being accidentally exposed to these drugs resulting in an overdose without even being aware of it.

The drug naloxone is being carried by a growing number of first responders for the treatment of overdose victims. I would like to propose the policy of all first responders, state, county and local, having access to naloxone for their own use in case of an accidental exposure while performing their duties.

I expect there are many political and logistical issues with this proposal, but maybe our state, county and local leaders could keep in mind the need to protect our first responders as those leaders work to address the opioid epidemic.

Paul Mayotte

Trevett and

Cape Coral, Florida