Opioid Addiction

A growing number of fatal opioid overdoses in Vermont involve an animal tranquilizer that blunts the effectiveness of overdose-reversing medications. It’s a trend that’s concerning health officials as the state experiences a high number of overdose deaths.

The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic. But with countless groups advocating for a share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.

After years of litigation and investigation against opioid manufacturers, money is coming in. Vermont is slated to receive more than $100 million the cases that have been settled so far, according to the attorney general’s office. That number will go up, because Vermont is slated to receive funds from recent national settlements with four drug makers that combined, total more than $8.5 billion.

Dr. Kimberly Blake shares the story of her son Sean, who struggled with opioid addiction and passed away from an overdose in 2017.

This hour, Vermont Edition speaks with workers helping people through recovery from opioid addiction during the deadliest year of the opioid crisis yet in Vermont.

The state of Vermont set a grim record last year: 210 residents died from opioid overdoses — the first time in the state’s history that number topped 200, according to health department data.

Last week, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced that a bankruptcy settlement with opioid maker Purdue Pharma cleared another hurdle. Vermont could receive up to nearly $38 million under the agreement.

Vermont will receive $64 million under a settlement reached with four U.S. companies — Johnson & Johnson as well as drug wholesalers AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — over their role in fueling the opioid crisis. The money could start flowing as soon as April.

Nikolas Kerest was sworn in as the new U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont in December. As the chief federal law officer in the state, he says violent crime, white-collar crime and bias incidents will be his top priorities, while the clash between state and federal law when it comes to cannabis will not be "on the top of our priority list."

A ban on using telemedicine to prescribe controlled medications was suspended in the pandemic. That's allowed many to seek opioid addiction treatment, but some worry about potential for abuse.