Health

As passed out of the Senate, the bill would ban all use and sale of the herbicide after 2030 in Vermont. Farmers would be able to use paraquat until then, but only with special permission from the state.

Overdose deaths in Vermont plummeted by 25% in 2025 compared to the year prior, according to preliminary data state health officials released Thursday.

Officials plan to put over 900,000 doses in bait they'll distribute across 10 counties in Vermont. Workers in early May will drop the bait from low-flying aircraft in rural areas, and place it by hand in more densely-populated places.

Legislation that would ban the use of paraquat, a fast-acting and highly toxic herbicide that studies have linked to Parkinson’s disease, easily passed the Vermont House last month. But H.739 now faces a chillier reception in the Senate.

Drug overdose deaths are plummeting in the U.S. in ways never seen before. Experts worry new, toxic "synthetic" street drugs could derail the recovery.

Ibogaine research is gaining traction in some states, including Texas. Some local lawmakers and medical providers think Vermont should join them.

New state-level restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known locally as 3Squares Vermont, could go into effect as early as February 2027.

State health officials say they are still investigating the case, but that they do not believe the general public is currently at risk. This is the state’s first confirmed measles case this year.

Dr. Rick Hildebrant became Vermont's newest Health Commissioner in October.

Olivia Sweetnam says her staff is providing top-notch care even while navigating major budgetary challenges.