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A Mathematical Model Of The Opioid Epidemic In The State Of Maine, Cole Butler

Honors College

For the past two decades the United States has been embroiled in a prescription drug epidemic that has since grown in magnitude and complexity. The ripples of this epidemic have been especially apparent in the state of Maine, which has fought hard to mitigate the damage caused by addiction to pharmaceutical and illicit opioids. Us- ing data from state and federal sources, we construct a mathematical model capturing the dynamics of the opioid epidemic in the state of Maine, specifically as it pertains to pharmaceutical opioids and heroin. Parameter fitting is performed followed by an uncertainty analysis to quantify potential …