Sen. Susan Collins’ hearing this week on the drug problem in Maine clearly highlighted the fact that drug abuse is epidemic here. The hearing reminded me that the problem is here right now and we need to do something immediately if Bangor is going to survive the firestorm of drug abuse.

We need to honestly acknowledge the real depth of the substance abuse problem we face. Confronting the fact that we have a drug problem requires that we face down the huge problems associated with opiate drugs like heroin and we also need to be aware of struggling kids who seek easy meaning and simple solutions to life’s problems by abusing all kinds of substances. If we focus on the big picture and work toward a comprehensive solution then Maine’s drug problem will get better.

A recent state-conducted study of drug use by Maine schoolchildren which, for the first time, assessed opiate use by Maine youth showed that the use of opiates is increasing and drugs like marijuana, Ecstasy and alcohol are still being widely abused. The state data confirms an epidemic of drug abuse. These realities, however, have not sufficiently moved us to initiate a comprehensive, sustained and systematic approach to drug abuse prevention.

When heroin and Oxycontin arrived on the scene, appropriately they made big news. We tried to eliminate these drugs by villainizing them, but we missed the point that the drug problem here is bigger and more complex than any one drug. The reported increase in opiate overdose deaths in Maine is a horrific tragedy and we are all frightened by the almost daily news reports of these seemingly senseless losses, but it is important to know that people everywhere are at risk from a wide variety of drugs. Now, as predicted, heroin use is up because it is cheap, plentiful and easy to get. When abused these are horrible drugs that can cause a human toll beyond comprehension while also ruining neighborhoods and whole communities.

We have an urgent need to do something. We are frightened, and we should be, but this fear can help mobilize us. We need to act.

Here is what can we do as ordinary citizens:

1. Enact community standards against the abusive use of all drugs and join together to eliminate risk factors for substance abuse – such as the lack of engaging and exciting alternatives to substance abuse in our towns and cities. In some communities, this could be as simple as establishing neighborhood associations or teen centers.

2. Support an increase in police efforts to curb illegal drug sales. Instead of slashing enforcement budgets we should increase the number of drug agents dramatically. If we say these behaviors are not tolerated and we put our money where our mouths are, our communities will benefit. Money invested here will pay rich dividends in the future.

3. Get involved in the lives of our children by talking, getting involved at school, and engaging in community forums aimed at the creation of caring communities where kids can grow into capable, competent and involved young people.

4. Undertake a full-scale prevention effort in this state. By stopping the problem before it begins we will be most effective.

I know this is a complex problem yet, together we can have a huge impact on how our children live and how our communities live or die. Let’s look at the whole picture, start at the beginning, and keep working even when the task seems too big.

Please join me in calling on our elected leaders, service agencies, our civic leaders, our schools, and our neighbors to begin now a sustained and honest approach to solving this problem. Let’s ask for and expect community-based initiatives. Our actions are important; our kids’ lives and the success of our communities depend on it.

Dr. Robert Dana, a substance abuse researcher, treatment provider and preventionist, is the dean of students at the University of Maine and a resident of Bangor.