Planning Board Approves New Methadone, Suboxone Clinic For Augusta, Maine

It's no secret that the drug epidemic has been raging not just in Maine, but across the United States for several years. As a matter of fact, recent data shows that Maine is on track to have the deadliest overdose year in 2023 in the state's entire recorded history. That's scary.

And, as the drug problem continues to rage on, state officials are left with few options on how to attack and address the situation. Now, at least for one Maine city, a new recovery-style center looks like it will be on its way to town.

According to an article published by the Kennebec Journal, the Augusta, Maine Planning Board unanimously approved a proposal on Tuesday night that would allow a new recovery center that specializes in the use of methadone and suboxone to treat patients to open in the city.

The newly proposed 'Acadia Healthcare Treatment Center' would be located on Edison Drive in the city of Augusta. The proposal indicated that the clinic would movie into an existing building which sits at 14 Edison Drive, the KJ reported. It would share a right of way with multiple other Augusta businesses including a Days Inn.

Adrienne Sass, a regional director for Acadia Healthcare, told the Augusta Planning Board on Tuesday in part,

“We do have controlled substances onsite, so I just want to point that out and let you know we have very stringent policies, guidelines and procedures. We are regulated by state government, the federal government and DEA. Everything is at least triple-locked. So all medication is stored in an alarmed, locked safe, which is stored in an alarmed, locked dispensary, which is in an alarmed, locked building.”

The Kennebec Journal went on to report that Acadia Healthcare currently operates 157 treatment centers in 39 different states. That number includes 6 that are already up and running across the state of Maine.