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The home for VPR's coverage of health and health industry issues affecting the state of Vermont.

It's Still A Crisis: Opiate-Related Deaths Continue To Rise

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Despite a laser focus on diminishing opiate abuse in the state, related overdose deaths have risen to a new high.

It was such a major concern in 2014 that then-Governor Peter Shumlin devoted his entire State of the State address to the opiate addiction crisis. As a result, the state focused health department, treatment, and law enforcement resources at this growing problem.

Three years later and the results aren't good. A recent investigation by Seven Days of the number of opiate-related deaths in Vermont in 2016 shows it has reached a record high of 100. But that number might have been significantly higher without the use of things like Narcan and Suboxone.

We speak with Vermont Department of Health Deputy Commissioner Barbara Cimaglio and Seven Days Staff Writer Mark Davis about what's working, and what's not working, and to get an idea of who is being affected by the opiate crisis.

Plus, attendance at Catholic Mass in Chittenden County has been going down, but not among the Vietnamese-speaking population! We'll listen in to a Catholic Mass held every month in Vietnamese.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017 live at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Ric was a producer for Vermont Edition and host of the VPR Cafe.
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
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