In 2014, Gov. Peter Shumlin declared the opioid epidemic in Vermont a crisis. That year, 63 people in the state died from an overdose.
A decade later, 183 Vermonters died from an opioid overdose, according to preliminary data from the Department of Health. That’s down from a peak of 244 overdose deaths during the pandemic, but public health officials say it’s still a crisis.
Almost every person who died from an opioid overdose last year had multiple substances in their systems, including fentanyl, cocaine and xylazine.
“The drug supply has become increasingly complex,” said Kelly Dougherty, the deputy commissioner of the health department. “There may be people who think they’re getting cocaine, but it ends up having fentanyl in it as well.”
Recovery support provider Trace Hoack, the director of Turning Point Center of Rutland, said the tainted drug supply has corresponded with an increase in difficult behavior from her clients.
Recently, Hoack had to ask police to issue a no-trespass order. One client threatened to kill themselves at the office. Another smashed their head over and over against their glass door.
“This is just in the last two weeks,” she said.
“When you see that there's less deaths, then people just naturally think, ‘Oh, it's getting better,’” she said. “It's not.”
The decline in overdose deaths in Vermont reflects a nationwide trend of a 25% decrease in overall reported overdose deaths last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It's likely not due to one single thing,” Dougherty said.
More from NPR: 8 theories why fentanyl deaths are plummeting
She said one theory is the mass proliferation of Naloxone, an overdose-reversal medication, available at pharmacies, recovery centers, and in a few vending machines across the state.
That’s also made it harder to track the number of overdoses happening in the community, because they might be managed without intervention from emergency medical services.
She said anyone looking for treatment or recovery services can go to Vermont Health Link or text or call 802-565-5465.
