16-05-2025
Opioid overdose deaths in Vermont dropped significantly last year
A report released Friday by the Vermont Department of Health says the number of deaths caused by opioids in the state dropped 22% in 2024, the second consecutive year of a decline in overdose deaths.
According to the state's Annual Fatal Overdose Report, 183 Vermonters died from an opioid-related overdose in 2024, down from 236 people in 2023.
Health officials say the decline in overdose deaths last year was the most since 2019, when 115 people died, down from 131. And it reflects a nationwide trend of decreasing overdose deaths. A report issued by the CDC this week found overdose deaths in the U.S. dropped 27% last year.
Health Department Deputy Commissioner Kelly Dougherty, who oversees Vermont's substance use programs, said years of state investment in treatment, recovery and prevention is paying off. That includes more widespread use of naloxone. Last year, the department says it distributed 70,000 doses of naloxone to first responders and other community partners
'At the same time,' she said, 'people are still dying due to opioid overdose, and we must not forget the lasting impact these losses have on families and communities. While we embrace progress, we must continue strengthening our partnerships and systems of care to respond to new challenges.'
While fentanyl is still involved in most opioid deaths Vermont — 170, or 93% of fatalities, in 2024 — fatal overdoses involving the drug have declined for two years running. At the same time, fatal overdoses involving heroin have been falling.
Meanwhile, cocaine and Xylazine were involved in significantly more fatal overdoses last year. Xylazine was found in 42% of overdose deaths last year, up 10% from 2023.
Deadly overdoses involving cocaine have been rising since 2015. Two years ago, 6 in 10 overdose deaths involved cocaine, or about 60% of the total. Last year, total deaths fell, but the percentage of deaths involving cocaine rose to 7 in 10.
Health officials emphasis that the 2024 statistics are still preliminary — 13 deaths remain unresolved, and the final tally could be 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
