Opioid Use Disorder

Reporters Liam Elder-Connors and Derek Brouwer share a behind-the-scenes look at their reporting on Vermont's courts backlogs.

That bill, called H.72, sets up a pilot site in Burlington where individuals would be able to use illegal drugs under medical supervision. Overdose reversing medication would also available. Advocates say the centers can prevent fatal overdoses and provide touch points for people with substance use disorder to seek help.

Journey to Recovery has partnered with local schools on addiction prevention and early intervention.

The number of Vermonters who died from opioid overdoses fell last year — the first decrease in five years.

The obituary for Madelyn Linsenmeir, a Vermonter, went viral in 2018 for its candid and heartbreaking discussion of opioid addiction.

Kenneth Cadow's debut novel, Gather, is a finalist in the Young People’s Literature division for the 2023 National Book Award. The book follows Ian, a teenager in rural Vermont, as he deals with common teenager struggles, and something much bigger — his mom’s substance misuse disorder.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York cleared the way for a controversial bankruptcy deal that grants immunity from opioid lawsuits to members of the Sackler family.

If Vermont wants to reduce last year's record 237 overdose deaths, the health commissioner says, the state needs to find ways to connect people using opioids with treatment options. Many of the people who died had no connection to treatment.

All told, drugmakers and distributors will pay over $50 billion to communities harmed by opioids. An investigation finds that only a dozen states are letting the public see how they use the money.

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.