The veterinary drug xylazine has become a favored diluting agent for fentanyl. During the first five months of this year, fentanyl figured in 71 out of 77 overdose deaths, with xylazine contributing to 19.
“We’re trying to rehabilitate people — and also our community,” said Gregory Tatro, whose late sister lives on through the nonprofit Jenna’s Promise recovery network in Johnson.
The tally for January to April is lower than the 67 deaths recorded in the same period last year, but it’s 22 percent higher than that of 2020.
After years of trying, Burlington is taking another stab at opening a facility for supervised drug use. The proposal does not have support from state or federal officials.
The eight opioid deaths recorded in Vermont in March, which all involved fentanyl, were down from 12 in February and 23 in January, according to the latest state data — but state health officials cautioned it’s far too early to talk about a trend.
Eight Vermonters died of accidental opioid overdoses in February, the lowest monthly toll in almost two years.
Harm reduction programs and designated agencies are expected to get more funding next year. But lawmakers sidestepped proposals for big policy shifts, such as overdose prevention sites.
The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl continued to drive the annual overdose deaths. It was involved in 93% of the fatalities in 2021.
This is the highest number of fatal overdoses the state has ever recorded in a single year.
Vermont is in the midst of a “syndemic,” a synergy of epidemics: Covid-19 and drug overdose fatalities due to opioids and stimulants. But only Covid-19 is getting the attention it deserves.
State data shows that through November last year, 181 Vermonters died of an opioid overdose. By comparison, 157 fatal overdoses were reported in all of 2020.
Some 169 Vermonters fatally overdosed on opioids between January and October 2021, eclipsing the previous year’s record-setting total of 157 deaths.
The state logged 150 fatal overdoses between January and September, driven primarily by the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
The synthetic opioid fentanyl remains a major factor in the deaths. Xylazine, an animal sedative not approved for human use, continues to appear among cases.
