As Vermont grapples with rising numbers of opioid overdose deaths, the House of Representatives has announced plans to increase the number of overdose prevention centers in the state, including safe injection facilities (places where heroin and other drugs can be used under the supervision of trained staff). passed a bill allowing the establishment of If you take too much, it will come back.
The bill was approved by the House on Thursday after emotional testimony and now heads to the state Senate.
Vermont has experienced consecutive record highs in opioid overdose deaths in recent years. There will be 243 such deaths in 2022, exceeding the previous high of 217 in 2021, said Rep. Taylor Small, a progressive Democrat from Winooski and a member of the House Human Rights Committee. As of the end of September 2023, there were 180 cases in the state in the nine months of last year.
Vermont Legislature Reconvenes for New Session
“We are in a crisis. We have been on the brink of overdose death for too long. And in a year when public safety seems to be at the forefront of our priorities. It is clear that we need to expand our approach to addressing this “crisis'','' Small told colleagues on Wednesday.
The Vermont State Capitol on October 13, 2019 in Montpelier, Vermont. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket, Getty Images)
Small mentioned fentanyl, the animal tranquilizer xylazine and gabapentin, saying the drugs trafficked in Vermont are becoming increasingly dangerous and deadly.
Rep. Emily Kornheiser, a Democrat from Brattleboro, said one of her favorite things about living in a small community is watching the kids in town grow up.
“For the past 10 years, I have watched children die,” she said, her voice shaking. “I also grieve the deaths of my friends' precious children, my own loved ones, and my clients. And we cannot continue like this. I want my community to survive. “And we want to continue living in this body.” Do everything we can to make that happen. ”
Supporters say these centers save lives and connect people to addiction treatment, mental health services and medical care. But some Vermont lawmakers who opposed the bill argued that these centers would allow illegal drug use and enable drug users. They also expressed concern about drug use by minors.
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Republican Gov. Phil Scott opposes the idea, saying he vetoed a similar bill two years ago.
