Sen. Chris Johnsons, D-Somerville, is inviting interested members of the public to join an effort by local officials, law enforcement and health care providers dedicated to bringing a successful anti-addiction program to Lincoln County.

The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Skidompha Public Library Auditorium in Damariscotta. It is the third meeting with stakeholders who are exploring how to bring Operation HOPE to Lincoln County.

The original Operation HOPE is a program of the Scarborough Police Department. It is a partnership between law enforcement and the treatment community with a goal of fighting addiction with health care, not jail. Through Operation HOPE, addicts who want to take the first step toward recovery can show up at the Scarborough Police Department, turn over their drugs and paraphernalia, and be connected with a treatment provider without facing a possession charge.

“Diversion programs such as Operation HOPE are a crucial part of the public health solution to our state’s drug crisis,” Sen. Johnson said. “They help Mainers suffering from addiction find help, but they also play a crucial role in lowering the crime rate. As our law enforcement officers know, so much of our state’s crime is related to drugs. Fighting addiction is good not only for the individual addict, but for the whole community.”

The program was modeled after a similar initiative in Massachusetts, and has seen remarkable success. Every law enforcement agency in Lincoln County has agreed to launch a joint Operation HOPE in the region by the end of February.

At the Jan. 20 meeting, Officer John Gill of the Scarborough PD and Stephen Cotreau of the Portland Recovery Community Center will give a presentation on what has made Operation HOPE so successful.