Maine Republican Governor Paul LePage

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has routinely attracted attention for off-color, racist or bizarre public statements.

But in what ranks as one of the most vicious messages ever to accompany a veto, LePage explained Wednesday that he blocked a bill to increase access to a life-saving overdose medication because the people it could save are just going to die later anyway.

“Naloxone does not truly save lives; it merely extends them until the next overdose,” LePage wrote.

It was not the first time LePage had shared such a belief, but attaching it to his veto elevated it to a statement of official policy.

“Creating a situation where an addict has a heroin needle in one hand and a shot of naloxone in the other produces a sense of normalcy and security around heroin use that serves only to perpetuate the cycle of addiction,” he wrote.

While a staggering number of people have died as the result of the heroin and opioid […]