THE DEADLIEST DRUG: Maine's addiction to alcohol

Part of

Visit this advertiser | Search all Maine businesses

A mirror reflects the face of Holly Miles as she looks out the doorway of her Pittsfield apartment, where her four sisters gathered early one morning to force her to confront her alcoholism. Miles has celebrated a full year of sobriety, but has had to fight strong yearnings to have a drink. ''Just feeling healthier and not waking up with a hangover, you just feel better,'' she says of sobriety. Staff photo by David A. Rodgers

Day 1: Oct. 19, 1997. A lethal hold on Maine: Alcohol steals hundreds of lives, causes thousands of injuries and costs tens of millions of dollars each year.

Day 2: Oct. 20, 1997. Wounded by alcohol: Kady Kilpatrick drank to escape, but she could not avoid the painful effects alcohol had on her body and mind. Even as she suffered, she continued to drink. Then she connected to recovery.

Day 3: Oct. 21, 1997. Portrait of a hard-drinking mill town: Alcohol defines the very rhythm of life in Rumford and nearby towns, where aspirations often end at the factory gates.

Day 4: Oct. 22, 1997. Tragedy looms when OUI is a way of life: Tougher penalties and greater public awareness deter many social drinkers from getting behind the wheel. But chronic drunken drivers have their own set of rules.

Day 5: Oct. 23, 1997. Kids struggle to break alcohol's grip: Youngsters today are drinking earlier than ever, and treating them is uncommonly tough. Many who have no place else to go arrive at Day One in Hollis.

Day 6: Oct. 24, 1997. Drinking becomes partner in crime: Drunk people who kill, rape, set fires and commit other crimes come from all walks of life and cost the state's taxpayers about $42 million a year.

Day 7: Oct. 25, 1997 Tribe looks inward for the way out

Day 8: Oct. 26, 1997 Treatment is crucial, yet funds slow to a trickle Alcohol-abuse programs shift to favor outpatient treatment and group therapy over long-term stays. But experts agree that early, and repeated, intervention, are needed.

Site content developed by Pat Washburn from series published in The Portland Newspapers Oct. 19-26, 1997. Site design by Kathy Jungjohann, MaineToday.com. Questions or comments on the site? E-mail us.

Editor's note

On Oct. 19, the Maine Sunday Telegram did something different. Instead of the variety of stories readers normally find on the front page, the paper ran just one - the first installment of this eight-day series.

The reason for the change is simple: It is an important story that we believe deserves attention.

Maine is in the throes of an alcohol epidemic. Seldom does a day pass when we are not confronted by the sad evidence of it. Yet alcohol has become an accepted and almost invisible influence on us. We hope in this series to shed light on that influence.

We welcome your thoughts on the series. You can telephone us at 1-800-442-6036 (ext. 6355) or e-mail us at feedback@portland.com.

Jeannine Guttman, Editor, The Portland Newspapers

© MaineToday Media, Inc. Inc.

For information about this series
The Portland Press Herald reporters who wrote the series ''The Deadliest Drug'' are available to speak at local schools about what they learned and encountered during their research. Please call Kate Blackstone at 791-6312 for more information.

Those who wish to obtain copies of this series can write to:
Alcohol Series
c/o Jessica Tomlinson
The Portland Newspapers
PO Box 1460
Portland, ME 04104
A small handling fee may be required