Did Maine record more than 10,000 drug overdoses in 2025? | Fact brief

Maine did not record more than 10,000 drug overdoses in 2025.

Maine recorded 7,703 total drug overdoses in 2025, including 7,313 nonfatal and 390 confirmed or suspected fatal overdoses, according to state-funded reports produced by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine.

Drug overdoses have declined each year in Maine since 2022. There were 10,483 that year, including 9,760 nonfatal and 723 fatal overdoses.

That number fell to 9,654 in 2023, including 9,047 nonfatal and 607 fatal overdoses. In 2024, the total dropped again to 8,530, including 8,040 nonfatal and 490 fatal overdoses.

The UMaine reports suggest that illicit drug supply changes may be a factor in the decline, noting that fentanyl’s presence in fatal overdoses fell from nearly 80% in 2022 to under 60% in 2025. They also cite expanded access to overdose treatment, outreach programs and medications that reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms.