Sen. Haskell and Rep. Dion on drug summit

Lawmakers call for comprehensive approach to address Maine’s drug crisis    

Sen. Anne Haskell of Portland

AUGUSTA –  Rep. Mark Dion and Sen. Anne Haskell on Wednesday  released the following statements on Gov. Paul LePage’s drug summit Wednesday.

“I’m glad to see that these law enforcement professionals understand that we need a comprehensive approach to Maine’s drug crisis. I hope that we move forward and don’t fall back into outdated ideas about arresting our way out of this epidemic. We’ll know we’ve turned a corner when we all understand this is, first and foremost, a public health issue,” said Dion, D-Portland, a former Cumberland County sheriff who was House chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in the previous legislature. “Because the Legislature ultimately will craft the policies and fund these efforts, lawmakers must have a place at the table early on. In times of crisis, we must put aside our differences and work together. We have an opportunity to do that now.”

“We must address addiction as a public health issue. We know are treatment efforts are falling short when we continue to have people on the streets, committing crimes and unable to access care. This isn’t about other people, this is about us – our friends, our neighbors and our family members,” said Haskell, D-Portland, a member of the Health and Human Services Committee who has previously served on the Public Health and Safety Committee. “I’m heartened to hear that these law enforcement officials will form working groups on education, prevention and treatment. I look forward to hearing their reports.”

The two lawmakers attended the media availability that featured some of the summit participants. The summit was closed to the press and the media. Lawmakers were not invited to the summit or allowed to observe.

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