Governor Mills’ final Opioid Response Summit gets underway in Bangor

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Governor Janet Mills’ eighth and final Opioid Response Summit is convening Thursday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

This year’s theme is “Building Hope, Honoring Progress, Inspiring Change.”

The summit brings together community members, health care providers, policy experts, state and federal government leaders, affected individuals and families, advocates, and law enforcement officials to discuss strategies to help Maine people impacted by the opioid crisis.

The day-long event features 38 breakout sessions.

Two people will be honored with the 2026 Governor’s Award in recognition of their work to help Maine people impacted by substance use disorder.

The summit will also feature a keynote address from Kathryn Goetzke, CEO and Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company, a global platform promoting hope as a measurable public health strategy, as well as voices of people in recovery.

Attendees will hear updates on her Administration’s work to prevent and respond to substance use disorder in Maine as state data indicates that Maine is on track to record the fourth consecutive annual decrease in fatal overdoses in 2026, according to the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. This year, Maine recorded 183 overdose deaths from January to June, a nearly nine percent drop compared to the same period in 2025. In 2024, Maine recorded its largest decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018.

This year’s summit will also feature an art show highlighting curated selections from several regional art shows hosted by recovery community centers and supported by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.