Addiction Rates Rising Among Seniors in Maine

Although the opioid epidemic is an enormous issue for younger adults, that doesn’t mean that older generations aren’t hit hard, too.

A recent report out of Bangor details the troubling rise in addiction among seniors in Maine, highlighting the need for age appropriate addiction treatment and prevention resources across the state.

Senior Addiction Trends in Maine

Using a clinic made from folding tables and chairs, Megan Harrigan helps residents at Maine’s Union Street Brick Church. These people are without homes and struggling with substance abuse. 

Harrigan stays busy providing referrals for opioid treatment, dressing wounds that develop from opioid use and touching base with clients she hasn’t seen lately. During a conversation with a Maine Monitor reporter, she mentioned how she’s found an increase in older adults using these types of drugs. 

Overprescribing and Its Lasting Impact

Harrigan is a mental health and rehab tech, so she has a vast background in helping others. When she first began twenty years ago, older patients mostly experienced problems with prescription medications. 

Now, after regulatory changes slowed down overprescribing, she noticed patients started experimenting more with illicit drugs, such as fentanyl. Until recently, many communities noted concerns with the younger population using illegal drugs. 

According to data mined from Medicare claims for Maine patients 65 and older, there was a 70 percent uptick in buprenorphine treatment from 2019 to 2023.  This reflects a small number of people, but it illustrates how trends may be changing and not for the better. 

Encouraging Signs and Ongoing Risk

There is a silver lining to this otherwise dismal news. The total overdoses in Maine have dropped dramatically, with adults 65 and older only attributing 12% of nonfatal overdoses in 2024 and 13% in 2025 thus far. Younger adults still accounted for 26% of nonfatal overdoses last year. 

However addiction in older adults is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Seniors may be more vulnerable to complications due to underlying health conditions, medication interactions and social isolation. This makes early intervention and access to treatment critical.

Finding Addiction Treatment for Seniors in Maine

If you’re concerned about a senior in your life, or if you think your own use of alcohol or prescription medications is becoming a problem, there is help.

Maine offers addiction treatment centers with programs designed for different ages, substances, and levels of care including specialized options for seniors and those managing chronic medical conditions.

You can explore drug rehabs in Maine or treatment programs near your city. For immediate confidential help, call 800-681-1058 (Sponsored) now.