A shocking new poll reveals that 6 in 10 Mainers say that they know someone who has either used heroin or abused prescribed opiate painkillers within the past five years. I on the other hand right here in the Bangor area I know 4 people within my group of friends affected by opiates including three that have had that person pass away. That said I guess this recent data if from a Portland Press Herald/ Maine Sunday Telegram poll of just over 600 registered voters results shouldn't surprise me much. Still it is so sad, can have such devastating repercussions to a family and not least of all is so deadly I can't help but be shocked to find out I am far from alone.

The poll was conducted from June 15 to June 21, 2016.

The results were fairly steady throughout the state, with northern, coastal, central and southern Maine all with at least 56 percent surveyed saying that they knew somebody who used heroin or abused painkillers within the past five years.

Politically affiliation sees the reasons of the main causes of the drug problem much differently. Maine republicans cite that drug dealers as the biggest cause for the drug epidemic, while Maine democrats think that over-prescribing of drugs as the largest cause of the heroin and painkiller abuse.

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